I 
110TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 6743 
To require the Secretary of Defense to establish a pilot program under 
which the Secretary may furnish a service dog to any member of the 
Armed Forces with a qualifying disability. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JULY 31, 2008 
Mr. JONES of North Carolina introduced the following bill; which was referred 
to the Committee on Armed Services 
A BILL 
To require the Secretary of Defense to establish a pilot 
program under which the Secretary may furnish a service 
dog to any member of the Armed Forces with a quali-
fying disability. 
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 referred to as the ‘‘Department of 
Defense Service Dog Pilot Program Act of 2008’’. 
SEC. 2. SERVICE DOG PILOT PROGRAM. 
(a) REQUIREMENT
TO
ESTABLISH
PILOT
PRO-
GRAM.—The Secretary of Defense shall establish and 
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carry out a pilot program to furnish service dogs to mem-
bers of the Armed Forces in accordance with this section. 
(b) ELIGIBILITY.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Under the pilot program es-
tablished under subsection (a), the Secretary of De-
fense may furnish a service dog to any member of 
the Armed Forces— 
(A) who has a service-connected disability, 
including a disability that limits mobility; and 
(B) for whom a service dog may be of sub-
stantial benefit in the treatment of such dis-
ability. 
(2) NOTICE.—The Secretary of Defense shall 
provide information about the pilot program estab-
lished under subsection (a) to each member of the 
Armed Forces who may be eligible for such pilot 
program. 
(c) REGULATIONS.—The Secretary of Defense shall 
prescribe regulations to carry out this section, including 
regulations regarding— 
(1) eligibility for the pilot program established 
under subsection (a); 
(2) standards for service dogs; and 
(3) standards for service dog providers. 
(d) REPORTS.— 
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(1) INTERIM
REPORT.—Not later than 180 
days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the 
Secretary of Defense shall submit to the Committees 
on Armed Services of the House of Representatives 
and the Senate an interim report on the progress of 
the pilot program established under subsection (a). 
(2) FINAL REPORT.—Not later than 2 years 
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Sec-
retary of Defense shall submit to the Committees on 
Armed Services of the House of Representatives and 
the Senate a final report on the results of the pilot 
program. The report shall include such recommenda-
tions as the Secretary considers appropriate. 
(e) DURATION.—The Secretary of Defense shall ter-
minate the pilot program established under subsection (a) 
on the date that is 2 years after the date of the enactment 
of this Act. 
(f) CONTINUATION OF BENEFITS.—Notwithstanding 
subsection (e), the Secretary of Defense shall continue to 
carry out the pilot program established under subsection 
(a) to the extent necessary to continue to provide benefits 
to each member of the Armed Forces who has received 
a service dog under the pilot program. 
(g) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
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(1) SERVICE
DOG.—The term ‘‘service dog’’ 
means any dog individually trained to do work or 
perform tasks for the benefit of an individual with 
a disability. 
(2) 
SERVICE-CONNECTED
DISABILITY.—The 
term ‘‘service-connected disability’’ means a dis-
ability incurred or aggravated in the line of duty as 
a member of the Armed Forces. 
Æ 
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