I 

115TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 2225 

To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out a pilot program 

on dog training therapy. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

APRIL 28, 2017 

Mr. STIVERS (for himself and Mr. WALZ) introduced the following bill; which 

was referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

A BILL 

To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out 

a pilot program on dog training therapy. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Veterans Dog Training 

5 Therapy Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS PILOT PRO7 GRAM ON DOG TRAINING THERAPY. 

8 (a) IN GENERAL.—Commencing not later than 120 

9 days after the date of the enactment of the Act, the Sec10 retary of Veterans Affairs shall carry out a pilot program 


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1 under which the Secretary shall enter into a contract with 

2 one or more appropriate non-government entities for the 

3 purpose of assessing the effectiveness of addressing post4 deployment mental health and post-traumatic stress dis5 order symptoms through a therapeutic medium of training 

6 service dogs for veterans with disabilities. Such program 

7 shall be carried out through the Center for Compassionate 

8 Innovation of the Veterans Health Administration of the 

9 Department of Veterans Affairs. 

10 (b) DURATION OF PILOT PROGRAM.—The pilot pro11 gram required by subsection (a) shall be carried out dur12 ing the five-year period beginning on the date of the com13 mencement of the pilot program. 

14 (c) LOCATIONS OF PILOT PROGRAM.—In entering 

15 into contracts for purposes of the pilot program, the Sec16 retary shall seek to enter into contracts with appropriate 

17 non-government entities located in close proximity to at 

18 least three but not more than five medical centers of the 

19 Department. 

20 (d) APPROPRIATE NON-GOVERNMENT ENTITIES.— 

21 For purposes of the pilot program, an appropriate non22 government entity is an entity that is certified in the train23 ing and handling of service dogs. 

24 (e) TRAINING AREA.—The Secretary shall provide to 

25 a non-government entity with which the Secretary enters 


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1 into a contract under this section access to a training area 

2 in a facility of the Department that would be appropriate 

3 for use in educating veterans with mental health condi4 tions in the art and science of service dog training and 

5 handling. Such training area shall— 

6 (1) include a dedicated space that is suitable 

7 for grooming and training dogs indoors; 

8 (2) be wheelchair accessible; 

9 (3) include classroom or lecture space; 

10 (4) include office space for staff; 

11 (5) include a suitable space for storing training 

12 equipment; 

13 (6) provide for periodic use of other training 

14 areas for training the dogs with wheelchairs and 

15 conducting other exercises; 

16 (7) include outdoor exercise and toileting space 

17 for dogs; and 

18 (8) provide transportation for weekly field trips 

19 to train dogs in other environments. 

20 (f) DESIGN OF PILOT PROGRAM.—Each contract en21 tered into under subsection (a) shall provide that the non22 government entity shall— 

23 (1) employ at least one person with clinical ex24 perience related to mental health; 


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1 (2) ensure that veterans participating in the 

2 program receive training from certified service dog 

3 training instructors; 

4 (3) ensure that each service dog in training 

5 participating in the pilot program is taught all es6 sential commands pertaining to service dog skills; 

7 (4) ensure that the pilot program involves both 

8 lecture of service dog training methodologies and 

9 practical hands-on training and grooming of service 

10 dogs; and 

11 (5) ensure that the pilot program is designed 

12 to— 

13 (A) maximize the therapeutic benefits to 

14 veterans participating in the program; and 

15 (B) provide well-trained service dogs to 

16 veterans with disabilities; and 

17 (6) in hiring service dog training instructors to 

18 carry out training under the pilot program, give a 

19 preference to veterans who have successfully grad20 uated from post-traumatic stress disorder or other 

21 residential treatment programs and who have re22 ceived adequate certification in service dog training. 

23 (g) ADMINISTRATION.—In order to carry out the 

24 pilot program under section (a), the Secretary of Veterans 

25 Affairs shall— 


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1 (1) administer the program through the Center 

2 for Compassionate Innovation of the Veterans 

3 Health Administration of the Department in collabo4 ration with the Recreation Therapy Service of the 

5 Department under the direction of a certified rec6 reational therapist with sufficient administrative ex7 perience to help oversee the pilot program; and 

8 (2) establish a director of therapeutic service 

9 dog training with a background working in social 

10 services, experience in teaching others to train serv11 ice dogs in a vocational setting, and at least one 

12 year of experience working with veterans or active 

13 duty service members with post-traumatic stress dis14 order in a clinical setting. 

15 (h) VETERAN ELIGIBILITY.—The Secretary shall se16 lect veterans for participation in the pilot program. A vet17 eran with post-traumatic stress disorder or other post-de18 ployment mental health condition may volunteer to partici19 pate in the pilot program, if the Secretary determines that 

20 there are adequate program resources available for such 

21 veteran at the pilot program site. Veterans may partici22 pate in the pilot program in conjunction with the com23 pensated work therapy program of the Department of Vet24 erans Affairs. 


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1 (i) COLLECTION OF DATA.—The Secretary shall col2 lect data on the pilot program required under subsection 

3 (a) to determine how effective the program is for the vet4 erans participating in the program. Such data shall in5 clude data to determine how effectively the program as6 sists veterans in— 

7 (1) reducing stigma associated with post-trau8 matic stress disorder or other post-deployment men9 tal health condition; 

10 (2) improving emotional regulation; 

11 (3) improving patience; 

12 (4) instilling or re-establishing a sense of pur13 pose; 

14 (5) providing an opportunity to help fellow vet15 erans; 

16 (6) reintegrating into the community; 

17 (7) exposing the dog to new environments and 

18 in doing so, helping the veteran reduce social isola19 tion and withdrawal; 

20 (8) building relationship skills, including par21 enting skills; 

22 (9) relaxing the hyper-vigilant survival state; 

23 (10) improving sleep patterns; and 

24 (11) enabling veterans to decrease the use of 

25 pain medication. 


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1 (j) REPORTS TO CONGRESS.—Not later than one year 

2 after the date of the commencement of the pilot program 

3 under subsection (a), and each year thereafter for the du4 ration of the pilot program, the Secretary shall submit to 

5 Congress a report on the pilot program. Each such report 

6 shall include— 

7 (1) the number of veterans participating in the 

8 pilot program; 

9 (2) a description of the services carried out 

10 under the pilot program; 

11 (3) the effects that participating in the pilot 

12 program has on the following— 

13 (A) symptoms of post-traumatic stress dis14 order and post-deployment adjustment difficul15 ties, including depression, maintenance of sobri16 ety, suicidal ideations, and homelessness; 

17 (B) potentially relevant physiological mark18 ers that possibly relate to the interactions with 

19 the service dogs; 

20 (C) family dynamics; 

21 (D) insomnia and pain management; and 

22 (E) overall well-being; and 

23 (4) the recommendations of the Secretary with 

24 respect to the extension or expansion of the pilot 

25 program. 


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1 (k) DEFINITION.—For the purposes of this section, 

2 the term ‘‘service dog training instructor’’ means an in3 structor who provides the direct training of veterans with 

4 post-traumatic stress disorder and other post-deployment 

5 issues in the art and science of service dog training and 

6 handling. 

Æ 


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