IIB 

117TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1448 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

MAY 13, 2021 

Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

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. 

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


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1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

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

3 Wounded Servicemembers for Veterans Therapy Act’’ or 

4 the ‘‘PAWS for Veterans Therapy Act’’. 

5 SEC. 2. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS PILOT PRO6 GRAM ON DOG TRAINING THERAPY. 

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

8 date of the enactment of the Act, the Secretary of Vet9 erans Affairs shall commence the conduct of a pilot pro10 gram to provide canine training to eligible veterans diag11 nosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (in this section 

12 referred to as ‘‘PTSD’’) as an element of a complementary 

13 and integrative health program for such veterans. 

14 (b) DURATION; MEDICAL CENTERS.— 

15 (1) DURATION.—The Secretary shall carry out 

16 the pilot program under subsection (a) for a 5-year 

17 period beginning on the date of the commencement 

18 of the pilot program. 

19 (2) MEDICAL CENTERS.—The Secretary shall 

20 ensure that such pilot program is carried out by not 

21 fewer than five medical centers of the Department of 

22 Veterans Affairs located in geographically diverse 

23 areas. 

24 (c) AGREEMENTS WITH ENTITIES.—In carrying out 

25 the pilot program under subsection (a), the Secretary shall 

26 seek to enter into agreements with nongovernmental entiVerDate Sep 11 2014 02:10 May 14, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1448.RFS H1448

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1 ties that the Secretary determines have the demonstrated 

2 ability to provide the canine training specified in sub3 section (a). 

4 (d) REQUIRED CONDITIONS.—The Secretary shall in5 clude in any agreement under subsection (c) conditions re6 quiring that the nongovernmental entity seeking to enter 

7 into the agreement— 

8 (1) submits to the Secretary certification that 

9 the entity is an accredited service dog training orga10 nization; 

11 (2) agrees to ensure that veterans participating 

12 in the pilot program under subsection (a) receive 

13 training from certified service dog training instruc14 tors for a period of time determined appropriate by 

15 the entity; 

16 (3) agrees to ensure that veterans participating 

17 in such pilot program are prohibited from having ac18 cess to a dog under such pilot program at any time 

19 during such participation without the supervision of 

20 a certified service dog training instructor; 

21 (4) agrees to ensure that veterans participating 

22 in such pilot program receive training in skills 

23 unique to the needs of the veteran to address or al24 leviate PTSD symptoms of the veteran; 


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1 (5) agrees not to use shock collars or prong col2 lars as training tools and to use positive reinforce3 ment training; and 

4 (6) agrees to provide any follow-up training 

5 support specified in subsection (e)(2), as applicable. 

6 (e) ADOPTION OF DOG.— 

7 (1) IN GENERAL.—A veteran who has partici8 pated in the pilot program under subsection (a) may 

9 adopt a dog that the veteran assisted in training 

10 during such pilot program if the veteran and the vet11 eran’s health provider (in consultation with the enti12 ty that provided the canine training with respect to 

13 the dog under such pilot program) determine that it 

14 is in the best interest of the veteran. 

15 (2) FOLLOW-UP TRAINING SUPPORT.—If a vet16 eran adopts a dog under paragraph (1), the entity 

17 that provided the canine training with respect to the 

18 dog under the pilot program shall provide follow-up 

19 training support for the life of the dog. Such sup20 port shall include the provision of a contact plan be21 tween the veteran and the entity that enables the 

22 veteran to seek and receive assistance from the enti23 ty to ensure the dog is being properly cared for. 

24 (f) ELIGIBILITY FOR OTHER CARE AND TREAT25 MENT.—Participation in the pilot program under subVerDate Sep 11 2014 02:10 May 14, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1448.RFS H1448

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1 section (a) may not preclude a veteran from receiving any 

2 other medical care or treatment for PTSD furnished by 

3 the Department, including therapy, for which the veteran 

4 is otherwise eligible. 

5 (g) COLLECTION OF DATA.—In carrying out this sec6 tion, the Secretary shall— 

7 (1) develop metrics and other appropriate 

8 means to measure, with respect to veterans partici9 pating in the pilot program under subsection (a)— 

10 (A) the number of such veterans partici11 pating; 

12 (B) the satisfaction of such veterans with 

13 the pilot program; 

14 (C) whether participation in the pilot pro15 gram resulted in any clinically relevant improve16 ments for such veterans, as determined by the 

17 health care provider or clinical team that re18 ferred the veteran to participate in the pilot 

19 program; and 

20 (D) such other factors as the Secretary 

21 may determine appropriate; and 

22 (2) establish processes to document and track 

23 the progress of such veterans under the pilot pro24 gram with respect to health benefits and improve25 ments. 


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

2 before the date on which the pilot program under sub3 section (a) terminates, the Secretary shall submit to the 

4 Committees on Veterans’ Affairs of the House of Rep5 resentatives and the Senate a report containing the rec6 ommendations of the Secretary regarding— 

7 (1) whether to extend or make permanent the 

8 pilot program; and 

9 (2) the feasibility and advisability of expanding 

10 the pilot program to address mental health condi11 tions other than PTSD. 

12 (i) GAO BRIEFING AND STUDY.— 

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

14 date of the commencement of the pilot program 

15 under subsection (a), the Comptroller General of the 

16 United States shall provide to the Committees on 

17 Veterans’ Affairs of the House of Representatives 

18 and the Senate a briefing on the methodology estab19 lished for the pilot program. 

20 (2) REPORT.—Not later than 270 days after 

21 the date on which the pilot program terminates, the 

22 Comptroller General shall submit to the committees 

23 specified in paragraph (1) a report on the pilot pro24 gram. Such report shall include an evaluation of the 


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1 approach and methodology used for the pilot pro2 gram with respect to— 

3 (A) assisting veterans with PTSD; and 

4 (B) measuring relevant metrics, such as 

5 reduction in scores under the Clinician Admin6 istered PTSD Scale (CAPS), improvement in 

7 psychosocial function, and therapeutic compli8 ance. 

9 (j) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

10 (1) The term ‘‘accredited service dog training 

11 organization’’ means an organization described in 

12 section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 

13 1986 that— 

14 (A) provides service dogs to veterans with 

15 PTSD; and 

16 (B) is accredited by an accrediting organi17 zation with demonstrated experience, national 

18 scope, and recognized leadership and expertise 

19 in the training of service dogs and education in 

20 the use of service dogs (as determined by the 

21 Secretary). 

22 (2) The term ‘‘eligible veteran’’ means a vet23 eran who— 

24 (A) is enrolled in the patient enrollment 

25 system in the Department of Veterans Affairs 


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1 under section 1705 of title 38, United States 

2 Code; and 

3 (B) has been recommended for participa4 tion in the pilot program under subsection (a) 

5 by a qualified mental health care provider or 

6 clinical team based on medical judgment that 

7 the veteran may benefit from such participation 

8 with respect to the diagnosed PTSD of the vet9 eran. 

10 (3) The term ‘‘service dog training instructor’’ 

11 means an instructor who provides the direct training 

12 of veterans with PTSD in the art and science of 

13 service dog training and handling. 

14 SEC. 3. PROVISION OF SERVICE DOGS AND VETERINARY IN15 SURANCE BENEFITS TO VETERANS WITH 

16 POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER WHO 

17 DO NOT HAVE CERTAIN IMPAIRMENTS. 

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

19 States Code, is amended by adding at the end the fol20 lowing new subsections: 

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

22 veteran under subsection (c)(3) regardless of whether the 

23 veteran has a mobility impairment. 

24 ‘‘(f)(1) The Secretary shall provide to any veteran de25 scribed in paragraph (2) a commercially available veteriVerDate Sep 11 2014 02:10 May 14, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00008 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1448.RFS H1448

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1 nary insurance policy for each dog provided to such vet2 eran under subsection (b) or (c). 

3 ‘‘(2) A veteran described in this paragraph is a vet4 eran who— 

5 ‘‘(A) is diagnosed with post-traumatic stress 

6 disorder or a visual, hearing, or substantial mobility 

7 impairment; 

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

9 (c) in connection with such disorder or impairment; 

10 and 

11 ‘‘(C) meets such other requirements as the Sec12 retary may prescribe.’’. 

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

14 United States Code, as added by subsection (a), shall 

15 apply with respect to a veteran provided a dog by the Sec16 retary of Veterans Affairs on or after the date of the en17 actment of this Act. 

Passed the House of Representatives May 12, 2021. 

Attest: CHERYL L. JOHNSON, 

Clerk. 


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