I 
115TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 3335 
To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out a pilot program 
to enter into contracts with qualified nonprofit organizations to provide 
service dogs to eligible veterans with a mental health mobility disorder 
related to post-traumatic stress or traumatic brain injury, and for other 
purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JULY 20, 2017 
Mr. BILIRAKIS (for himself and Mr. CUELLAR) 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 to enter into contracts with qualified 
nonprofit organizations to provide service dogs to eligible 
veterans with a mental health mobility disorder related 
to post-traumatic stress or traumatic brain injury, and 
for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Pups for Patriots Act 
of 2017’’. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
00:07 Aug 01, 2017
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H3335.IH
H3335
dlhill on DSKBC4BHB2PROD with BILLS
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress makes the following findings: 
(1) According to the Department of Veterans 
Affairs about 11 to 20 of every 100 veterans (11 to 
20 percent) who served in Operation Iraqi Freedom 
or in Operation Enduring Freedom are diagnosed 
with post-traumatic stress. 
(2) The invisible wounds of war, including post- 
traumatic stress, can cause debilitating symptoms in 
veterans leading to depression, social isolation, and 
suicide. 
(3) Studies and first-hand accounts dem-
onstrate that service dogs provide support to vet-
erans by mitigating their disability, allowing for pro-
fessional and social reintegration. 
(4) Service dogs reduce stress and anxiety lev-
els, ease depression, provide comfort, and restore 
confidence in affected veterans. 
(5) Currently, waiting lists for service dogs av-
erage between 18 and 24 months, with intensive 
compulsory training costing an average of $25,000 
per service dog. 
(6) The estimated cost of owning a service dog 
once adopted is $1,200 to $1,600 per year for food, 
supplies, and general veterinary health care. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
00:07 Aug 01, 2017
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H3335.IH
H3335
dlhill on DSKBC4BHB2PROD with BILLS
SEC. 3. PILOT PROGRAM. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Veterans Affairs 
shall carry out a pilot program under which the Secretary 
shall— 
(1) enter into contracts with qualified nonprofit 
organizations for the provision of service dogs to eli-
gible veterans, including the procurement, training, 
and evaluation of each such service dog; 
(2) ensure that each dog provided as a service 
dog under the program meets the standards de-
scribed in section 4(b); and 
(3) provide veterinary insurance for each service 
dog provided to an eligible veteran pursuant to such 
a contract. 
(b) ELIGIBLE VETERANS.—In this section, an eligible 
veteran is a veteran who— 
(1) served on active duty in the Armed Forces 
on or after September 11, 2001; 
(2) has been diagnosed with severe or extreme 
post-traumatic stress or with a severe traumatic 
brain injury by a Department of Veterans Affairs 
doctor or clinical social worker who has treated the 
veteran; 
(3) has received evidence-based treatment and 
remains symptomatic of severe or extreme post-trau-
matic stress or severe traumatic brain injury, as de-
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
00:07 Aug 01, 2017
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H3335.IH
H3335
dlhill on DSKBC4BHB2PROD with BILLS
termined by the Secretary or a Department doctor 
or clinical social worker; and 
(4) commits to an evaluation by a Department 
doctor or clinical social worker at a minimum of two 
times per year. 
(c) RELATIONSHIP TO OTHER BENEFITS.—A service 
dog provided to a veteran pursuant to a contract under 
the pilot program shall be in addition to all other benefits 
and services for which the veteran is eligible under the 
laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs. 
(d) QUALIFIED NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS.—For 
purposes of the pilot program under this section, a quali-
fied nonprofit organization is a nonprofit organization 
that the Secretary determines adheres to the national 
standards for the selection, training, and assessment of 
service dogs for veterans described in section 4(b). 
(e) ANNUAL REPORTS
TO CONGRESS.—Not later 
than one year after the date on which the pilot program 
commences, and annually thereafter until the termination 
of the pilot program, the Secretary shall submit to the 
Committees on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate and House 
of Representatives a report on the pilot program. Each 
such report shall include an evaluation of the pilot pro-
gram based on— 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
00:07 Aug 01, 2017
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H3335.IH
H3335
dlhill on DSKBC4BHB2PROD with BILLS
(1) an update on the nonprofit organizations 
with which the Secretary has entered into a con-
tract; 
(2) summaries from the Department doctors 
and clinical social workers who are evaluating the el-
igible veterans who receive service dogs under the 
pilot program; and 
(3) an analysis of each eligible veteran’s ability 
to professionally and socially reintegrate, to reduce 
dependence on prescriptive medications, and on rel-
evant metrics pertaining to the veteran’s diagnosis 
of a mental health mobility disorder related to post- 
traumatic stress or a traumatic brain injury. 
(f) LIMITATION ON PAYMENT OF EXPENSES.—The 
contract between the Secretary and a qualified nonprofit 
organization under this section shall not provide for a pay-
ment to the organization in an amount in excess of 
$25,000 for each service dog provided under the contract, 
including the procurement, training, and evaluation of the 
service dog. 
(g) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 
authorized to be appropriated for each of fiscal years 2018 
through 2023 $7,500,000 to carry out the pilot program. 
(h) OFFSET.—The amounts otherwise authorized to 
be appropriated for the Department of Veterans Affairs 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
00:07 Aug 01, 2017
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00005
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H3335.IH
H3335
dlhill on DSKBC4BHB2PROD with BILLS
Office of Human Resources and Administration for each 
of fiscal years 2018 through 2023 shall be reduced by 
$7,500,000. 
(i) TERMINATION.—The authority of the Secretary to 
enter into a contract under this section shall terminate 
on the date that is five years after the date of enactment 
of this Act. 
SEC. 4. NATIONAL STANDARDS FOR SELECTION, TRAINING, 
AND ASSESSMENT OF SERVICE DOGS. 
(a) FINDINGS.—Congress makes the following find-
ings: 
(1) At a convening facilitated by the National 
Association of Veteran-Serving Organizations, a sci-
entific advisory committee was formed and developed 
national standards on the selection, training, and as-
sessment of service dogs to enhance public safety, 
the humane treatment of service dogs, and reliable 
task performance for veterans. 
(2) The national standards are publically avail-
able and may be subject to revision following a sam-
ple study and an annual review by the scientific ad-
visory committee. 
(b) STANDARDS.—The national standards for selec-
tion, training, and assessment of service dogs described 
in this section are the following: 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
00:07 Aug 01, 2017
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00006
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H3335.IH
H3335
dlhill on DSKBC4BHB2PROD with BILLS
(1) With respect to canine breed and size, serv-
ice dogs should not be restricted by breed or size as 
the needs of individual veterans vary according to 
mobility and lifestyle. 
(2) With respect to canine selection and 
health— 
(A) breeds and lines within the breed 
should be evaluated to ensure a long service life 
for a working animal; 
(B) service dog candidates should have a 
thorough examination performed by a veteri-
narian; 
(C) examinations should include radiog-
raphy of the hips and elbows as a predictor of 
future joint and arthritic issues, and vision and 
hearing tests; 
(D) service dogs should receive regular 
wellness exams and vaccinations as rec-
ommended by a veterinarian, be on year-round 
internal and external parasite control; and be 
spayed or neutered; and 
(E) service dog candidates should have a 
stable, calm temperament. 
(3) With respect to canine training tasks, serv-
ice dogs should be able to perform a minimum of 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
00:07 Aug 01, 2017
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00007
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H3335.IH
H3335
dlhill on DSKBC4BHB2PROD with BILLS
two tasks that directly relate to the veteran’s dis-
ability. 
(4) With respect to canine training methods 
and equipment— 
(A) service dogs should perform tasks with 
alacrity and show a desire to work; 
(B) training equipment used must be ap-
propriate for the breed and dog, fitted, and 
used correctly; and 
(C) electronic collars are not acceptable as 
a humane training tool. 
(5) With respect to handler training— 
(A) handlers should be educated on the 
fundamentals of dog care and the humane 
treatment of animals, including health care, nu-
tritious diet, regular exercise, and the absence 
of physical pain and stress; and 
(B) handlers must be educated on legal 
rights according to the Americans with Disabil-
ities Act, Air Carrier Access Act, and Fair 
Housing Act, among others. 
(6) With respect to service dog assessments, 
service dogs and their respective veterans should be 
observed in action in a public settings that provide 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
00:07 Aug 01, 2017
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00008
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H3335.IH
H3335
dlhill on DSKBC4BHB2PROD with BILLS
common distractions such as food, noise, crowds, 
and other animals. 
(7) With respect to the background and role of 
an assessor— 
(A) an assessor should support and coach 
the veteran to successfully partner with the vet-
eran’s service dog; 
(B) an assessor should have a background 
in service dog training and evaluation and be 
experienced in working with persons with post- 
traumatic stress; and 
(C) an assessor should evaluate whether 
the service dog is temperamentally suitable for 
the work as a service dog. 
(c) SERVICE DOG CREDENTIAL.—The Secretary of 
Veterans Affairs shall issue to an eligible veteran who is 
provided a service dog under the pilot program under sec-
tion 3 with a national service dog credential if the veteran 
provides to the Secretary each of the following: 
(1) A certificate that the veteran has success-
fully completed an assessment that meets the cri-
teria under subsection (b)(6). 
(2) Proof of a diagnosis, as described in section 
3(b)(2), from a Department doctor or clinical social 
worker. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
00:07 Aug 01, 2017
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00009
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H3335.IH
H3335
dlhill on DSKBC4BHB2PROD with BILLS