SEC. 2. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS PILOT PRO-
GRAM TO AWARD GRANTS FOR THE PROVI-
SION OF SERVICE DOGS TO VETERANS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.— 
(1) PILOT
PROGRAM
REQUIRED.—Not later 
than 24 months after the date of the enactment of 
this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall es-
tablish a pilot program under which the Secretary 
shall award grants, on a competitive basis, to non-
profit entities to provide service dogs to eligible vet-
erans. 
(2) DURATION.—The Secretary shall carry out 
the pilot program during the five-year period begin-
ning on the date on which the first grant is awarded 
under this section. 
(b) APPLICATIONS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—To be eligible to receive a 
grant under this section, a nonprofit entity shall 
submit an application to the Secretary at such time, 
in such manner, and containing such commitments 
and information as the Secretary may require. 
(2) 
ELEMENTS.—An 
application 
submitted 
under paragraph (1) shall include the following: 
(A) A proposal for the provision of service 
dogs to eligible veterans, including how the non-
profit entity will communicate with the Sec-
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
02:38 Sep 17, 2024
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H9525.IH
H9525
ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
retary to ensure an increasing number of serv-
ice dogs are provided to veterans. 
(B) A description of the following: 
(i) The training that will be provided 
by the nonprofit entity to eligible veterans. 
(ii) The training of dogs that will 
serve as service dogs. 
(iii) Any additional support or services 
the nonprofit entity will provide for such 
dogs and eligible veterans. 
(iv) The plan for publicizing the avail-
ability of such dogs through a marketing 
campaign that targets eligible veterans. 
(v) The commitment of the nonprofit 
entity to have humane standards for ani-
mals. 
(C) Documentation certifying that the non-
profit entity is accredited by Assistance Dogs 
International or the International Guide Dog 
Federation. 
(c) AWARD OF GRANTS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall award a 
grant to each nonprofit entity for which the Sec-
retary has approved an application submitted under 
subsection (b)(1). 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
02:38 Sep 17, 2024
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H9525.IH
H9525
ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
(2) AGREEMENT REQUIRED.—Before the provi-
sion of any grant amounts to a nonprofit entity se-
lected to receive a grant under this section, the Sec-
retary shall enter into an agreement, containing 
such terms, conditions, and limitations as the Sec-
retary determines appropriate, with such entity. 
(3) GRANT AMOUNTS AND INTERVALS OF PAY-
MENT.—The Secretary— 
(A) may establish a maximum amount to 
be awarded to each nonprofit entity each fiscal 
year under this section; and 
(B) shall establish intervals of payment for 
the administration of each grant awarded under 
this section. 
(d) USE OF FUNDS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—A recipient of a grant under 
this section shall use the grant amounts to plan, de-
velop, implement, or manage (or any combination 
thereof) one or more programs that provide service 
dogs to eligible veterans. 
(2) ADMINISTRATIVE
EXPENSES.—The Sec-
retary may establish a maximum amount for each 
grant awarded under this section that may be used 
by the recipient of the grant to cover administrative 
expenses. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
02:38 Sep 17, 2024
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H9525.IH
H9525
ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
(3) OTHER CONDITIONS AND LIMITATIONS.— 
The Secretary may establish other conditions or lim-
itations on the use of grant amounts under this sec-
tion. 
(e) REQUIREMENTS FOR GRANT RECIPIENTS.— 
(1) NOTIFICATIONS AND INFORMATION.—A re-
cipient of a grant under this section shall— 
(A) notify each veteran who receives a 
service dog through such grant that the service 
dog is being paid for, in whole or in part, by 
the Department of Veterans Affairs; and 
(B) inform each such veteran of the bene-
fits and services available from the Secretary 
for the veteran and the service dog. 
(2) PROHIBITION ON CERTAIN FEES.—A recipi-
ent of a grant under this section may not charge a 
fee to a veteran receiving a service dog through such 
grant. 
(f) PROCESS
FOR
VETERANS
WITH
MENTAL 
HEALTH CONDITIONS.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—A veteran with a mental 
health condition seeking a service dog from a recipi-
ent of a grant under this section shall meet with a 
mental health provider of the Department. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
02:38 Sep 17, 2024
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00005
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H9525.IH
H9525
ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
(2) EVALUATION
AND
DETERMINATION; RE-
QUEST.—The mental health provider and the care 
team of a veteran described in paragraph (1) shall— 
(A) evaluate the veteran and determine— 
(i) whether the veteran has substan-
tial mobility limitations; 
(ii) whether the mental health condi-
tion of the veteran is the primary cause of 
such limitations; and 
(iii) whether a service dog would be 
the optimal intervention or treatment ap-
proach for the veteran; and 
(B) if the mental health provider and the 
care team determine that a service dog would 
be the optimal intervention or treatment ap-
proach for the veteran, request a service dog 
from a recipient of a grant under this section 
on behalf of the veteran through coordination 
with the Prosthetic and Sensory Aids Service of 
the medical center of the Department local to 
the veteran. 
(g) VETERINARY INSURANCE.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall provide 
to each veteran who receives a service dog through 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
02:38 Sep 17, 2024
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00006
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H9525.IH
H9525
ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
a grant under this section a commercially available 
veterinary insurance policy for the service dog. 
(2) CONTINUATION.—If the Secretary provides 
a veterinary insurance policy to a veteran under 
paragraph (1), the Secretary shall continue to pro-
vide the policy to the veteran without regard to the 
continuation or termination of the pilot program. 
(h) TRAINING AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.—The 
Secretary may provide training and technical assistance 
to recipients of grants under this section. 
(i) OVERSIGHT AND MONITORING.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary— 
(A) shall establish such oversight and mon-
itoring requirements as the Secretary deter-
mines appropriate to ensure that grant amounts 
awarded under this section are used appro-
priately; and 
(B) may take such actions as the Secretary 
determines necessary to address any issues 
identified through the enforcement of such re-
quirements. 
(2) REPORTS
AND
ANSWERS.—The Secretary 
may require each recipient of a grant under this sec-
tion to provide, in such form as may be prescribed 
by the Secretary, such reports or answers in writing 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
02:38 Sep 17, 2024
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00007
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H9525.IH
H9525
ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
to specific questions, surveys, or questionnaires as 
the Secretary determines necessary to carry out the 
pilot program. 
(j) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) ELIGIBLE VETERAN.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—The term ‘‘eligible vet-
eran’’ means a veteran who— 
(i) is enrolled in the system of annual 
patient enrollment of the Department es-
tablished and operated under subsection 
(a) of section 1705 of title 38, United 
States Code, or is otherwise entitled to 
hospital care and medical services under 
subsection (c)(2) of such section; and 
(ii) has one or more disabilities, condi-
tions, or diagnoses described in subpara-
graph (B). 
(B) DISABILITY, CONDITION, DIAGNOSIS 
DESCRIBED.—A disability, condition, or diag-
nosis described in this subparagraph is any of 
the following: 
(i) Blindness or visual impairment. 
(ii) Loss of use of a limb, paralysis, or 
other significant mobility issue, including 
mental health mobility. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
02:38 Sep 17, 2024
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00008
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H9525.IH
H9525
ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
(iii) Loss of hearing. 
(iv) Post-traumatic stress disorder. 
(v) Traumatic brain injury. 
(vi) Any other disability, condition, or 
diagnosis for which the Secretary deter-
mines, based on medical judgment, that it 
is optimal for the veteran to manage the 
disability, condition, or diagnosis and live 
independently through the assistance of a 
service dog. 
(2) PILOT
PROGRAM.—The term ‘‘pilot pro-
gram’’ means the pilot program required by sub-
section (a)(1). 
(3) SERVICE
DOG.—The term ‘‘service dog’’ 
means any dog that is individually trained to do 
work or perform tasks that are— 
(A) for the benefit of a veteran with a dis-
ability, condition, or diagnosis described in 
paragraph (1)(B); and 
(B) directly related to the disability, condi-
tion, or diagnosis of the veteran. 
(k) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 
authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section 
$10,000,000 for each of the five consecutive fiscal years 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
02:38 Sep 17, 2024
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00009
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H9525.IH
H9525
ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
following the fiscal year in which the pilot program is es-
tablished under subsection (a). 
Æ 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
02:38 Sep 17, 2024
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00010
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6301
E:\BILLS\H9525.IH
H9525
ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS