I 
115TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2327 
To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to make grants to eligible organi-
zations to provide service dogs to veterans with severe post-traumatic 
stress disorder, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MAY 3, 2017 
Mr. DESANTIS (for himself, Mr. BLUMENAUER, Mr. BUTTERFIELD, Mr. 
BYRNE, Mr. DONOVAN, Mr. HENSARLING, Ms. NORTON, Mr. HURD, Mr. 
JONES, Mr. JOYCE of Ohio, Mr. LOBIONDO, Mr. LYNCH, Mr. NORCROSS, 
Ms. PINGREE, Mr. POLIS, Mr. THOMAS J. ROONEY of Florida, Ms. ROY-
BAL-ALLARD, Mr. RYAN of Ohio, Mr. SABLAN, Ms. SA´NCHEZ, Mr. SES-
SIONS, Ms. SINEMA, Ms. STEFANIK, Ms. VELA´ZQUEZ, Mrs. WAGNER, Mr. 
ZELDIN, Mr. COHEN, Mr. JODY B. HICE of Georgia, Mr. HASTINGS, Mr. 
KNIGHT, Mr. AUSTIN SCOTT of Georgia, Mr. GALLEGO, Ms. SHEA-POR-
TER, Mr. BARTON, Mr. FRANKS of Arizona, Miss GONZA´LEZ-COLO´N of 
Puerto Rico, Mr. SEAN PATRICK MALONEY of New York, Mr. RASKIN, 
Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas, Mr. CURBELO of Florida, Mrs. CAROLYN B. 
MALONEY of New York, Mr. POCAN, Mr. ROYCE of California, Mr. PAL-
LONE, Mr. POE of Texas, Mr. RUTHERFORD, Mr. O’ROURKE, Ms. KAP-
TUR, Mr. TROTT, Mr. SCOTT of Virginia, Ms. TITUS, Mr. BRAT, Mrs. 
COMSTOCK, and Mr. WALKER) introduced the following bill; which was 
referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 
A BILL 
To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to make grants 
to eligible organizations to provide service dogs to vet-
erans with severe post-traumatic stress disorder, and for 
other purposes. 
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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 2017’’ or the ‘‘PAWS 
Act of 2017’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress makes the following findings: 
(1) According to the analysis of veteran suicide 
published by the Department of Veterans Affairs in 
August 2016 and titled ‘‘Suicide Among Veterans 
and Other Americans’’— 
(A) an average of 20 veterans died by sui-
cide each day in 2014; 
(B) mental health disorders, including 
major depression and other mood disorders, 
have been associated with increased risk for sui-
cide; 
(C) since 2001, the proportion of users of 
the Veterans Health Administration with men-
tal health conditions or substance use disorders 
has 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-
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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. 
(2) The Department of Veterans Affairs must 
be more effective in its approach to reducing the 
burden of veteran suicide connected to mental health 
disorders, including post-traumatic stress disorder, 
and a pilot program and study to assess the benefits 
of pairing service dogs with veterans suffering from 
mental health disorders would allow the Department 
to better determine the efficacy of using service dogs 
as a nontraditional therapy to ensure the well-being 
of veterans. 
(3) Pairing a service dog with a veteran costs 
approximately $25,000, including with respect to 
training of the service dog as well as training of the 
veteran with the service dog. 
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SEC. 3. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS PILOT PRO-
GRAM TO PROVIDE GRANTS FOR THE PROVI-
SION OF SERVICE DOGS TO CERTAIN VET-
ERANS 
WITH 
SEVERE 
POST-TRAUMATIC 
STRESS DISORDER. 
(a) GRANTS.—The Secretary of Veterans Affairs 
shall carry out a pilot program under which the Secretary 
provides a $25,000 grant to an eligible organization for 
each veteran referred to that organization for a service 
dog pairing. 
(b) BENEFITS PROVIDED.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—An organization that re-
ceives a grant under subsection (a) shall provide the 
following for each service dog and veteran partici-
pating in the pilot program: 
(A) Coverage of a commercially available 
veterinary health insurance policy to maintain 
the health of the dog and keep the dog func-
tioning in the prescribed role for the life of the 
dog. 
(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. 
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(C) Payments for travel expenses for the 
veteran to obtain the dog, calculated in the 
same manner as similar travel expenses pro-
vided pursuant to section 111 of title 38, 
United States Code. 
(2) OTHER TRAVEL EXPENSES.—If a veteran is 
required to replace a service dog provided pursuant 
to a grant under this section, the Secretary shall pay 
for the travel expenses described in paragraph 
(1)(C) required to obtain a new service dog pursuant 
to subsection (c)(3), regardless of any other benefits 
the veteran is receiving for the first service dog 
under this section. 
(c) ELIGIBLE ORGANIZATIONS.—To be eligible to re-
ceive a grant under this section, an organization shall— 
(1) be a nonprofit organization that provides 
trained service dogs— 
(A) that— 
(i) is certified by Assistance Dogs 
International; 
(ii) on average, provides one-on-one 
training for each service dog and recipient 
for 30 hours or more over 90 days or 
more; 
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(iii) provides a wellness verification 
from a licensed veterinarian for each serv-
ice dog; 
(iv) provides an in-house residential 
facility, or other accommodations nearby, 
in which service dog recipients stay for a 
minimum of 10 days while receiving at 
least 30 hours of training with their new 
service dog; 
(v) ensures all service dogs pass the 
American Kennel Club Community Canine 
test and the ADI Public Access Test prior 
to permanent placement with a recipient; 
and 
(vi) provides follow-up support service 
for the life of the service dog, to include a 
contact plan between the veteran and orga-
nization to allow— 
(I) the veteran to reach out for 
and receive adequate help with the 
service dog; and 
(II) the organization to commu-
nicate with the veteran to ensure that 
the service dog is being properly cared 
for; or 
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(B) that meets the Association of Service 
Dog Providers for Military Veterans Service 
Dog Agency Standards that cater to the unique 
needs of veterans with post-traumatic stress 
disorder; 
(2) agree to cover all costs in excess of the 
grant amount to guarantee the benefits listed under 
subsection (b)(1); 
(3) agree to reaccept or replace the service dog 
the organization provided to the veteran, if nec-
essary, 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 require. 
(d) ELIGIBLE VETERANS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Veterans 
Affairs shall review and approve veterans eligible to 
participate under this section and shall refer ap-
proved veterans to eligible organizations. The period 
beginning on the date on which a veteran applies to 
participate under this section and the date on which 
the Secretary makes an approval determination may 
not exceed 90 days. 
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(2) INITIAL ELIGIBILITY.—For purposes of this 
section, an eligible veteran is a veteran who is en-
rolled in the patient enrollment system of the De-
partment of Veterans Affairs under section 1705 of 
title 38, United States Code, and— 
(A) has been treated and has completed an 
established evidence-based treatment for post- 
traumatic stress disorder yet remains diagnosed 
with post-traumatic stress disorder by a quali-
fied health care provider as rated on the post- 
traumatic stress disorder checklist (PCL–5); 
(B) 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 
(C) agrees to successfully complete train-
ing provided by an eligible organization pursu-
ant to subsection (c). 
(3) ONGOING ELIGIBILITY.—To remain eligible 
to participate in the pilot program, a veteran shall 
see the health care provider or clinical team of the 
Department of Veterans Affairs treating the veteran 
for such a disorder at least every six months to de-
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termine, based on a clinical evaluation of efficacy, 
whether the veteran continues to benefit from a 
service dog. 
(4) 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. 
(e) 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 post-traumatic stress disorder, 
and an improvement in symptoms as a result of the provi-
sion of a service dog shall not affect the eligibility of the 
veteran for any other benefit under the laws administered 
by the Secretary. 
(f) 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 pilot program, the improvement in psy-
chosocial function and therapeutic compliance of 
such veterans and changes with respect to the de-
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pendence on prescription narcotics and psychotropic 
medication of such veterans; and 
(2) establish processes to document and track 
the progress of such veterans under the pilot pro-
gram in terms of the benefits and improvements 
noted as a result of the pilot program. 
(g) GAO BRIEFING AND STUDY.— 
(1) BRIEFING.—Not later than one year after 
the date on which the Secretary commences the pilot 
program under subsection (a), the Comptroller Gen-
eral of the United States shall provide to the Com-
mittees on Veterans’ Affairs of the House of Rep-
resentatives and the Senate a briefing on the meth-
odology established for the pilot program. 
(2) REPORT.—Not later than 270 days after 
the date on which the pilot program terminates, the 
Comptroller General shall submit to the committees 
specified in paragraph (1) a report on the pilot pro-
gram. Such report shall include an evaluation of the 
approach and methodology used for the pilot pro-
gram with respect to— 
(A) helping veterans with severe post-trau-
matic stress disorder return to civilian life; 
(B) relevant metrics, including reduction in 
metrics such as reduction in scores under the 
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post-traumatic stress disorder checklist (PCL– 
5), improvement in psychosocial function, and 
therapeutic compliance; and 
(C) reducing the dependence of partici-
pants on prescription narcotics and psycho-
tropic medication. 
(h) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 
authorized to be appropriated for the period of fiscal year 
2018 through fiscal year 2023, $10,000,000 to carry out 
the pilot program under this section. 
(i) OFFSET.—The amounts otherwise authorized to 
be appropriated for Department of Veterans Affairs Office 
of Human Resources and Administration for the period 
of fiscal year 2018 through fiscal year 2023 shall be re-
duced by $10,000,000. 
(j) TERMINATION.—The authority to carry out a pilot 
program under this section shall terminate on the date 
that is five years after the date of the enactment of this 
Act. An eligible veteran in possession of a service dog fur-
nished under the pilot program as of the termination of 
the pilot program may keep the service dog after the ter-
mination of the program for the life of the dog. 
Æ 
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