I 
117TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1022 
To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out a grant program 
under which the Secretary shall make grants to private entities for 
the provision of service dogs to eligible veterans with post-traumatic 
stress disorder, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
FEBRUARY 11, 2021 
Mr. RUTHERFORD (for himself, Mr. WALTZ, Mr. LAWSON of Florida, Mr. 
PAPPAS, and Mr. STIVERS) introduced the following bill; which was re-
ferred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 
A BILL 
To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out 
a grant program under which the Secretary shall make 
grants to private entities for the provision of service 
dogs to eligible veterans with post-traumatic stress dis-
order, 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 ‘‘Puppies Assisting 
Wounded Servicemembers Act of 2021’’ or the ‘‘PAWS 
Act of 2021’’. 
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SEC. 2. FINDINGS; SENSE OF CONGRESS. 
(a) FINDINGS.—Congress makes the following find-
ings: 
(1) According to the analyses of veteran suicide 
published by the Department of Veterans Affairs in 
August 2016 entitled ‘‘Suicide Among Veterans and 
Other Americans’’ and in June 2018 entitled ‘‘VA 
National Suicide Date Report’’— 
(A) an average of 20 veterans died by sui-
cide each day during 2014; 
(B) mental health disorders, including 
major depression and other mood disorders, 
have been associated with increased risk for sui-
cide; 
(C) the proportion of users of the Veterans 
Health Administration with mental health con-
ditions or substance use disorders increased 
from approximately 27 percent in 2001 to more 
than 40 percent in 2014; and 
(D) overall, suicide rates are highest 
among patients with mental health and sub-
stance use disorder diagnoses who are in treat-
ment and lower among those who received a 
mental health diagnoses but were not at risk 
enough to require enhanced care from a mental 
health provider. 
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SEC. 3. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS PROGRAM TO 
PROVIDE GRANTS FOR THE PROVISION OF 
SERVICE DOGS TO CERTAIN VETERANS WITH 
SEVERE 
POST-TRAUMATIC 
STRESS 
DIS-
ORDER. 
(a) GRANTS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Veterans 
Affairs shall make grants to eligible organizations 
for the purposes of providing service dogs to eligible 
veterans. 
(2) AMOUNT OF GRANT.—A grant under this 
section shall be in an amount not to exceed $25,000 
for each eligible veteran paired with a service dog. 
(b) ELIGIBLE ORGANIZATIONS.—To be eligible to re-
ceive a grant under this section, an organization shall— 
(1) be a nonprofit organization that— 
(A) provides service dogs to veterans with 
post-traumatic stress disorder (hereinafter in 
this section referred to as ‘‘PTSD’’); 
(B) meets the publicly available National 
Standard of the Association of Service Dog 
Providers for Military Veterans; and 
(C) has expertise in the unique needs of 
veterans with PTSD; 
(2) agree to provide the benefits described in 
subsection (c) and, if necessary, to cover any costs 
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associated with the provision of such benefits in ex-
cess of the amount of the grant; 
(3) agree to reaccept or replace any service dog 
the organization provides to a veteran using a grant 
under this section, if necessary, as determined by 
the organization and the veteran; and 
(4) submit to the Secretary an application con-
taining such information, certification, and assur-
ances as the Secretary may reasonably require. 
(c) BENEFITS TO BE PROVIDED USING GRANT 
FUNDS.—An organization that receives a grant under 
subsection (a) shall use the grant to— 
(1) provide a service dog for each eligible vet-
eran participating in the program; 
(2) for each service dog provided, to provide— 
(A) commercially available or government- 
guaranteed veterinary health insurance to main-
tain the health of the dog and keep the dog 
functioning in the prescribed role for the life of 
the dog; and 
(B) hardware, or repairs or replacements 
for hardware, that are clinically determined to 
be required by the dog to perform the tasks 
necessary to assist the veteran with the diag-
nosed disorder of the veteran; and 
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(3) cover the cost of any travel expenses for the 
veteran to obtain the dog, calculated in the same 
manner as similar travel expenses provided pursuant 
to section 111 of title 38, United States Code. 
(d) TRAVEL EXPENSES FOR REPLACEMENT DOGS.— 
If a veteran replaces a service dog provided pursuant to 
a grant under this section, the Secretary shall pay an addi-
tional amount for such the travel expenses, to be cal-
culated in the same manner as similar travel expenses pro-
vided pursuant to section 111 of title 38, United States 
Code. Such payment shall be in addition to any other ben-
efits the veteran receives for the first service dog provided 
under this section. 
(e) ELIGIBLE VETERANS.— 
(1) INITIAL ELIGIBILITY.—For purposes of this 
section, an eligible veteran is a veteran who— 
(A) is enrolled in the patient enrollment 
system of the Department of Veterans Affairs 
under section 1705 of title 38, United States 
Code; 
(B) has been treated and has completed an 
established evidence-based treatment for PTSD 
yet remains diagnosed with PTSD by a quali-
fied health care provider, as rated on the post- 
traumatic stress disorder checklist (PCL–5); 
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(C) the health care provider or clinical 
team of the Department of Veterans Affairs 
that is treating the veteran for such disorder 
determines, based upon medical judgment, that 
the veteran may potentially benefit from a serv-
ice dog; and 
(D) agrees to successfully complete train-
ing provided by an eligible organization in con-
junction with the receipt of a service dog. 
(2) ONGOING ELIGIBILITY.—To remain eligible 
to participate in the program, a veteran shall see the 
health care provider or clinical team of the Depart-
ment of Veterans Affairs treating the veteran for 
such a disorder at least once every six months to de-
termine, based on a clinical evaluation of efficacy, 
whether the veteran continues to benefit from a 
service dog. 
(3) OTHER CASES.—If at any point, the veteran 
is no longer able or willing to care for the service 
dog, the organization that provided the service dog 
and the veteran shall determine the appropriate re-
course to ensure the safety of both the veteran and 
the service dog. 
(f) APPROVAL OF GRANT APPLICATIONS.—The Sec-
retary of Veterans Affairs may review an application sub-
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mitted by an eligible organization for a grant under this 
section only after the organization accepts an eligible vet-
eran into an appropriate program. The Secretary shall ap-
prove or deny such an application not later than 90 days 
after the date on which an eligible organization applies 
to participate under this section on behalf of an eligible 
veteran. 
(g) RELATIONSHIP TO DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS 
AFFAIRS BENEFITS.—The provision of a service dog to 
a veteran under this section is in addition to any other 
hospital care or medical service furnished by the Depart-
ment for that veteran for PTSD. An improvement in 
symptoms as a result of the provision of a service dog shall 
not affect the eligibility of the veteran for any other ben-
efit under the laws administered by the Secretary. 
(h) METRICS.—In carrying out this section, the Sec-
retary shall— 
(1) develop metrics and other appropriate 
means to measure, with respect to veterans partici-
pating in the program, the improvement in psycho-
social function and therapeutic compliance of such 
veterans and changes with respect to the dependence 
on prescription narcotics and psychotropic medica-
tion of such veterans; and 
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(2) establish processes to document and track 
the progress of such veterans under the program in 
terms of the benefits and improvements noted as a 
result of the program. 
(i) GAO BRIEFING AND STUDY.— 
(1) BRIEFING.—Not later than one year after 
the date on which the Secretary commences the 
grant program under this section, 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 program. 
(2) REPORT.—Not later than 270 days after 
the date on which the grant program under this sec-
tion terminates, the Comptroller General shall sub-
mit to the committees specified in paragraph (1) a 
report on the program. Such report shall include an 
evaluation of the approach and methodology used for 
the program with respect to— 
(A) helping veterans with severe PTSD re-
turn to civilian life; 
(B) relevant metrics, including any reduc-
tion in metrics, including reduction in scores 
under the post-traumatic stress disorder check-
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