I 
118TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 8571 
To require the Attorney General to establish a grant program to assist 
with the medical expenses of qualified working dogs, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MAY 24, 2024 
Mr. JAMES (for himself and Ms. WILD) introduced the following bill; which 
was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the 
Committees on Armed Services, and Veterans’ Affairs, for a period to be 
subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration 
of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee con-
cerned 
A BILL 
To require the Attorney General to establish a grant program 
to assist with the medical expenses of qualified working 
dogs, 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 ‘‘Protecting America’s 
Working Dogs Act of 2024’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
20:19 Jul 17, 2024
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H8571.IH
H8571
ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
(1) The Department of Defense utilizes ap-
proximately 1,600 military working dogs to protect 
our nation and keep United States military per-
sonnel out of harm’s way. 
(2) Military working dogs have played an inte-
gral role in the success of numerous operations and 
missions, including the raids which resulted in the 
deaths of Osama bin Laden, the founder of al- 
Qaeda, and Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the leader of 
ISIS. 
(3) Working dogs play a critical role in assist-
ing our Armed Forces and Federal and local law en-
forcement in protecting Americans and defending 
freedom at home and abroad. 
(4) Within the Federal Government, working 
dogs assist the U.S. Capitol Police, the Bureau of 
Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the 
Transportation Security Administration, the Depart-
ment of Defense, U.S. Customs and Border Protec-
tion, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, 
amongst other Federal departments and agencies. 
(5) Almost all working dogs work in tandem 
with our Armed Forces and law enforcement officers 
until they are no longer medically able, at which 
point they are medically separated. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
20:19 Jul 17, 2024
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H8571.IH
H8571
ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
(6) The future of retired working dogs with re-
spect to ownership and provision of medical services 
is often unclear after the working dog is retired. 
(7) The medical treatment required by many 
former working dogs is significant enough that it 
creates a hardship for the individuals, often former 
partners, who take in these canine heroes and be-
come responsible for their medical costs. 
SEC. 3. GRANT PROGRAM TO FUND COVERED MEDICAL EX-
PENSES FOR QUALIFIED WORKING DOGS. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—Not later than 1 fiscal year 
after the date of enactment of this Act, and each fiscal 
year thereafter for 4 fiscal years, the Attorney General 
shall carry out a program under which the Attorney Gen-
eral may award grants, each in amounts not to exceed 
$575,000, to eligible nonprofit organizations to assist with 
the covered medical expenses of qualified working dogs. 
(b) ELIGIBILITY.—A nonprofit organization is eligi-
ble to receive a grant under this section if the organiza-
tion— 
(1) primarily exists to care for qualified work-
ing dogs; 
(2) provides medically related financial assist-
ance to owners of qualified working dogs; 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
20:19 Jul 17, 2024
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H8571.IH
H8571
ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
(3) allocates not less than 70 percent of its 
spending towards program expenses directly related 
to assisting with the covered medical expenses of 
qualified working dogs; and 
(4) separately states the veterinary expenses of 
such organization on the Internal Revenue Service 
Form 990 filed by such organization with the Inter-
nal Revenue Service. 
(c) APPLICATION.—To receive a grant under this sec-
tion, a nonprofit organization shall submit to the Attorney 
General an application at such time, in such manner, and 
containing such information as the Attorney General may 
require, including information that demonstrates that the 
nonprofit organization meets the eligibility requirements 
under subsection (b). 
(d) USE OF FUNDS.—A recipient of a grant under 
this section shall use such grant to pay for covered medical 
expenses of qualified working dogs. 
(e) GRANT AMOUNT REDUCTION.—A grant amount 
awarded to an eligible nonprofit organization for a fiscal 
year pursuant to this section shall be reduced by an 
amount equal to the total amount of unexpended grant 
funds awarded under this section in previous fiscal years. 
(f) REPORT.—The Attorney General shall submit to 
Congress a report that details— 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
20:19 Jul 17, 2024
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H8571.IH
H8571
ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
(1) the number of qualified working dogs as-
sisted pursuant to a grant awarded under this sec-
tion; and 
(2) the average medical expenses for each quali-
fied working dog assisted pursuant to a grant 
awarded under this section. 
(g) DEFINITIONS.—In this Act— 
(1) the term ‘‘covered medical expenses’’ means 
any expenses related to medical treatment and care 
of qualified working dogs, including veterinarian of-
fice visits, medical procedures, diagnostic tests, and 
medications or medically necessary supplements; 
(2) the term ‘‘qualified working dog’’ means— 
(A) a retired dog that worked for the Fed-
eral Government, including the Armed Forces, 
to carry out military, security, or law enforce-
ment activity; and 
(B) a service dog that works for an indi-
vidual who is a veteran or a retired Federal law 
enforcement officer; and 
(3) the term ‘‘veteran’’ has the meaning given 
the term in section 101 of title 38, United States 
Code. 
Æ 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
20:19 Jul 17, 2024
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00005
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6301
E:\BILLS\H8571.IH
H8571
ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS