IB 

Union Calendar No. 278 

111TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 3885 

[Report No. 111–490] 

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

on dog training therapy. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

OCTOBER 21, 2009 

Mr. BROWN of South Carolina introduced the following bill; which was 

referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

MAY 20, 2010 

Additional sponsors: Mr. MICHAUD, Mr. MARKEY of Massachusetts, Mr. 

KISSELL, Mr. RODRIGUEZ, Mr. MEEKS of New York, Mrs. BLACKBURN, 

Mr. MINNICK, Ms. NORTON, Mr. COHEN, Mr. WOLF, Mr. KILDEE, and 

Mr. ROONEY

MAY 20, 2010 

Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union 

and ordered to be printed 


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•HR 3885 RH

A BILL 

To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out 

a pilot program on dog training therapy. 


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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 

11 for the purpose of assessing the effectiveness of addressing 

12 post-deployment mental health and post-traumatic stress 

13 disorder symptoms through a therapeutic medium of 

14 training service dogs for veterans with disabilities. 

15 (b) DURATION OF PILOT PROGRAM.—The pilot pro16 gram required by subsection (a) shall be carried out at 

17 least three and not more than five Department of Veterans 

18 Affairs medical centers during the five-year period begin19 ning on the date of the commencement of the pilot pro20 gram. 

21 (c) LOCATIONS OF PILOT PROGRAM.—In selecting 

22 medical centers for the pilot program required under sub23 section (a), the Secretary shall ensure that each medical 

24 center selected provides a training area for educating vet25 erans with mental health conditions in the art and science 


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1 of assistance dog training and handling. Such training 

2 area shall— 

3 (1) include a dedicated space that is suitable 

4 for grooming and training dogs indoors; 

5 (2) be wheelchair accessible; 

6 (3) include classroom or lecture space; 

7 (4) include office space for staff; 

8 (5) include a suitable space for storing training 

9 equipment; 

10 (6) provide for periodic use of other training 

11 areas for training the dogs with wheelchairs and 

12 conducting other exercises; 

13 (7) include outdoor exercise and toileting space 

14 for dogs; and 

15 (8) provide transportation for weekly field trips 

16 to train dogs in other environments. 

17 (d) DESIGN OF PILOT PROGRAM.—In carrying out 

18 the pilot program under this section, the Secretary shall— 

19 (1) administer the program through the Recre20 ation Therapy Service of the Department of Vet21 erans Affairs under the direction of a certified rec22 reational therapist with sufficient administrative ex23 perience to oversee all pilot program sites; 

24 (2) establish, for purposes of overseeing the 

25 training of dogs at medical centers selected for the 


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1 pilot program, a director of service dog training with 

2 a background working in social services, experience 

3 in teaching others to train service dogs in a voca4 tional setting, and at least one year of experience 

5 working with veterans or active duty service mem6 bers with post-traumatic stress disorder in a clinical 

7 setting; 

8 (3) ensure that each pilot program site has cer9 tified dog trainers; 

10 (4) ensure that each assistance dog used in the 

11 program is purpose-bred for assistance dog work 

12 and has adequate temperament and health clear13 ances; 

14 (5) ensure that each assistance dog partici15 pating in the pilot program is taught 90 commands 

16 pertaining to assistance dog skills; 

17 (6) ensure that each assistance dog live at the 

18 pilot program site or a volunteer foster home in the 

19 vicinity of such site while receiving training; 

20 (7) ensure that the pilot program involves both 

21 lecture of assistance dog training methodologies and 

22 practical hands-on training and grooming of assist23 ance dogs; and 

24 (8) ensure that the pilot program is designed 

25 to— 


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1 (A) maximize the therapeutic benefits to 

2 veteran participating in the program; and 

3 (B) provide well-trained assistance dogs to 

4 veterans with disabilities. 

5 (e) VETERAN ELIGIBILITY.—A veteran with post6 traumatic stress disorder or other post-deployment mental 

7 health condition may volunteer to participate in the pilot 

8 program under subsection (a) if the Secretary determines 

9 that there are adequate program resources available for 

10 such veteran at the pilot program site. 

11 (f) HIRING PREFERENCE.—In hiring service dog 

12 training instructors under the pilot program under sub13 section (a), the Secretary shall give a preference to vet14 erans who have successfully graduated from post-trau15 matic stress disorder or other residential treatment pro16 grams and who have received adequate certification in as17 sistance dog training. 

18 (g) COLLECTION OF DATA.—The Secretary shall col19 lect data on the pilot program required under subsection 

20 (a) to determine how effective the program is for the vet21 erans participating in the program. Such data shall in22 clude data to determine how effectively the program as23 sists veterans in— 


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1 (1) reducing stigma associated with post-trau2 matic stress disorder or other post-deployment men3 tal health condition; 

4 (2) improving emotional regulation; 

5 (3) improving patience; 

6 (4) instilling or re-establishing a sense of pur7 pose; 

8 (5) providing an opportunity to help fellow vet9 erans; 

10 (6) reintegrating into the community; 

11 (7) exposing the dog to new environments and 

12 in doing so, helping the veteran reduce social isola13 tion and withdrawal and increase their sense of safe14 ty; 

15 (8) building relationship skills; 

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

17 (10) improving sleep patterns; and 

18 (11) enabling veterans to decrease the use of 

19 pain medication. 

20 (h) REPORTS TO CONGRESS.—Not later than one 

21 year after the date of the commencement of the pilot pro22 gram under subsection (a), and each year thereafter for 

23 the duration of the pilot program, the Secretary shall sub24 mit to Congress a report on the pilot program. Each such 

25 report shall include— 


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1 (1) the number of veterans participating in the 

2 pilot program; 

3 (2) a description of the services carried out by 

4 the Secretary under the pilot program; 

5 (3) the effects that participating in the pilot 

6 program has on the following— 

7 (A) symptoms of post-traumatic stress dis8 order and post-deployment adjustment difficul9 ties, including depression, maintenance of sobri10 ety, suicidal ideations, and homelessness; 

11 (B) potentially relevant physiological mark12 ers that possibly relate to the interactions with 

13 the service dogs; 

14 (C) family dynamics; 

15 (D) insomnia and pain management; and 

16 (E) overall well being; and 

17 (4) the recommendations of the Secretary with 

18 respect to the extension or expansion of the pilot 

19 program. 

20 (i) DEFINITION.—For the purposes of this section, 

21 the term ‘‘service dog training instructor’’ means an in22 structor who provides the direct training of veterans with 

23 post-traumatic stress disorder and other post-deployment 

24 issues in the art and science of assistance dog training 

25 and handling. 


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srobinson on DSKHWCL6B1PROD with BILLS
Union Calendar No. 278 

111TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 3885 

[Report No. 111–490] 

A BILL 

To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry 

out a pilot program on dog training therapy. 

MAY 20, 2010 

Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the 

State of the Union and ordered to be printed 


srobinson on DSKHWCL6B1PROD with BILLS