H. R. 1448 

One Hundred Seventeenth Congress 

of the 

United States of America 

AT THE FIRST SESSION 

Begun and held at the City of Washington on Sunday, 

the third day of January, two thousand and twenty-one 

An Act 

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

training therapy, and to amend title 38, United States Code, to authorize the 

Secretary of Veterans Affairs to provide service dogs to veterans with mental 

illnesses who do not have mobility impairments. 

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 

the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Puppies Assisting Wounded 

Servicemembers for Veterans Therapy Act’’ or the ‘‘PAWS for Veterans Therapy Act’’. 

SEC. 2. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS PILOT PROGRAM ON 

DOG TRAINING THERAPY. 

(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days after the date of 

the enactment of the Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall 

commence the conduct of a pilot program to provide canine training 

to eligible veterans diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder 

(in this section referred to as ‘‘PTSD’’) as an element of a complementary and integrative health program for such veterans. 

(b) DURATION; MEDICAL CENTERS.— 

(1) DURATION.—The Secretary shall carry out the pilot 

program under subsection (a) for a 5-year period beginning 

on the date of the commencement of the pilot program. 

(2) MEDICAL CENTERS.—The Secretary shall ensure that 

such pilot program is carried out by not fewer than five medical 

centers of the Department of Veterans Affairs located in geographically diverse areas. 

(c) AGREEMENTS WITH ENTITIES.—In carrying out the pilot program under subsection (a), the Secretary shall seek to enter into 

agreements with nongovernmental entities that the Secretary determines have the demonstrated ability to provide the canine training 

specified in subsection (a). 

(d) REQUIRED CONDITIONS.—The Secretary shall include in any 

agreement under subsection (c) conditions requiring that the nongovernmental entity seeking to enter into the agreement— 

(1) submits to the Secretary certification that the entity 

is an accredited service dog training organization; 

(2) agrees to ensure that veterans participating in the 

pilot program under subsection (a) receive training from certified service dog training instructors for a period of time determined appropriate by the entity; 

(3) agrees to ensure that veterans participating in such 

pilot program are prohibited from having access to a dog under 
H. R. 1448—2 

such pilot program at any time during such participation without the supervision of a certified service dog training instructor; 

(4) agrees to ensure that veterans participating in such 

pilot program receive training in skills unique to the needs 

of the veteran to address or alleviate PTSD symptoms of the 

veteran; 

(5) agrees not to use shock collars or prong collars as 

training tools and to use positive reinforcement training; and 

(6) agrees to provide any follow-up training support specified in subsection (e)(2), as applicable. 

(e) ADOPTION OF DOG.— 

(1) IN GENERAL.—A veteran who has participated in the 

pilot program under subsection (a) may adopt a dog that the 

veteran assisted in training during such pilot program if the 

veteran and the veteran’s health provider (in consultation with 

the entity that provided the canine training with respect to 

the dog under such pilot program) determine that it is in 

the best interest of the veteran. 

(2) FOLLOW-UP TRAINING SUPPORT.—If a veteran adopts 

a dog under paragraph (1), the entity that provided the canine 

training with respect to the dog under the pilot program shall 

provide follow-up training support for the life of the dog. Such 

support shall include the provision of a contact plan between 

the veteran and the entity that enables the veteran to seek 

and receive assistance from the entity to ensure the dog is 

being properly cared for. 

(f) ELIGIBILITY FOR OTHER CARE AND TREATMENT.—Participation in the pilot program under subsection (a) may not preclude 

a veteran from receiving any other medical care or treatment for 

PTSD furnished by the Department, including therapy, for which 

the veteran is otherwise eligible. 

(g) COLLECTION OF DATA.—In carrying out this section, the 

Secretary shall— 

(1) develop metrics and other appropriate means to 

measure, with respect to veterans participating in the pilot 

program under subsection (a)— 

(A) the number of such veterans participating; 

(B) the satisfaction of such veterans with the pilot 

program; 

(C) whether participation in the pilot program resulted 

in any clinically relevant improvements for such veterans, 

as determined by the health care provider or clinical team 

that referred the veteran to participate in the pilot program; and 

(D) such other factors as the Secretary may determine 

appropriate; and 

(2) establish processes to document and track the progress 

of such veterans under the pilot program with respect to health 

benefits and improvements. 

(h) REPORT BY SECRETARY.—Not later than 1 year before the 

date on which the pilot program under subsection (a) terminates, 

the Secretary shall submit to the Committees on Veterans’ Affairs 

of the House of Representatives and the Senate a report containing 

the recommendations of the Secretary regarding— 

(1) whether to extend or make permanent the pilot program; and 
H. R. 1448—3 

(2) the feasibility and advisability of expanding the pilot 

program to address mental health conditions other than PTSD. 

(i) GAO BRIEFING AND STUDY.— 

(1) BRIEFING.—Not later than 1 year after the date of 

the commencement of the pilot program under subsection (a), 

the Comptroller General of the United States shall provide 

to the Committees on Veterans’ Affairs of the House of Representatives and the Senate a briefing on the methodology 

established for the pilot program. 

(2) REPORT.—Not later than 270 days after the date on 

which the pilot program terminates, the Comptroller General 

shall submit to the committees specified in paragraph (1) a 

report on the pilot program. Such report shall include an 

evaluation of the approach and methodology used for the pilot 

program with respect to— 

(A) assisting veterans with PTSD; and 

(B) measuring relevant metrics, such as reduction in 

scores under the Clinician Administered PTSD Scale 

(CAPS), improvement in psychosocial function, and therapeutic compliance. 

(j) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

(1) The term ‘‘accredited service dog training organization’’ 

means an organization described in section 501(c)(3) of the 

Internal Revenue Code of 1986 that— 

(A) provides service dogs to veterans with PTSD; and 

(B) is accredited by an accrediting organization with 

demonstrated experience, national scope, and recognized 

leadership and expertise in the training of service dogs 

and education in the use of service dogs (as determined 

by the Secretary). 

(2) The term ‘‘eligible veteran’’ means a veteran who— 

(A) is enrolled in the patient enrollment system in 

the Department of Veterans Affairs under section 1705 

of title 38, United States Code; and 

(B) has been recommended for participation in the 

pilot program under subsection (a) by a qualified mental 

health care provider or clinical team based on medical 

judgment that the veteran may benefit from such participation with respect to the diagnosed PTSD of the veteran. 

(3) The term ‘‘service dog training instructor’’ means an 

instructor who provides the direct training of veterans with 

PTSD in the art and science of service dog training and handling. 

SEC. 3. PROVISION OF SERVICE DOGS AND VETERINARY INSURANCE 

BENEFITS TO VETERANS WITH POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS 

DISORDER WHO DO NOT HAVE CERTAIN IMPAIRMENTS. 

(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 1714 of title 38, United States Code, 

is amended by adding at the end the following new subsections: 

‘‘(e) The Secretary may provide a service dog to a veteran 

under subsection (c)(3) regardless of whether the veteran has a 

mobility impairment. 

‘‘(f)(1) The Secretary shall provide to any veteran described 

in paragraph (2) a commercially available veterinary insurance 

policy for each dog provided to such veteran under subsection (b) 

or (c). 

‘‘(2) A veteran described in this paragraph is a veteran who— 
H. R. 1448—4 

‘‘(A) is diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder or 

a visual, hearing, or substantial mobility impairment; 

‘‘(B) has received a dog under subsection (b) or (c) in 

connection with such disorder or impairment; and 

‘‘(C) meets such other requirements as the Secretary may 

prescribe.’’. 

(b) APPLICABILITY.—Section 1714(f) of title 38, United States 

Code, as added by subsection (a), shall apply with respect to a 

veteran provided a dog by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs on 

or after the date of the enactment of this Act. 

Speaker of the House of Representatives. 

Vice President of the United States and

President of the Senate.