IB 
Union Calendar No. 264 
119TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2605 
[Report No. 119–310] 
To require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to award grants to nonprofit 
organizations to assist such organizations in carrying out programs to 
provide service dogs to eligible veterans, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
APRIL 2, 2025 
Mr. LUTTRELL
(for himself, Mr. MCGARVEY, Mr. CISCOMANI, Mr. 
BUCHANAN, Ms. NORTON, Mr. VAN ORDEN, Mr. MURPHY, Mr. DAVIS of 
North Carolina, Ms. TENNEY, Mr. HUNT, Mr. VALADAO, Mr. CROW, Mrs. 
RADEWAGEN, Mr. RUTHERFORD, Mrs. KIGGANS
of Virginia, Mr. 
DELUZIO, Ms. MACE, Mrs. MILLER-MEEKS, Mr. COHEN, Mr. LAWLER, 
Mr. RULLI, Mr. STAUBER, Mr. GOLDMAN of Texas, Mr. PFLUGER, Ms. 
KING-HINDS, and Mr. LALOTA) introduced the following bill; which was 
referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 
SEPTEMBER 26, 2025 
Additional sponsors: Mr. VINDMAN, Mr. BARRETT, Mr. CONAWAY, Ms. 
MALLIOTAKIS, Mr. MILLER of Ohio, Ms. BYNUM, Mr. FINSTAD, Mr. 
YAKYM, Mrs. SYKES, Ms. MORRISON, Ms. GOODLANDER, Mr. SCHMIDT, 
Mr. CASTEN, Mr. KENNEDY of New York, Mr. WIED, Mr. SMITH of 
Washington, Ms. LEE of Nevada, Mr. MANNION, Mr. NEGUSE, Ms. 
DELBENE, Mr. CRANE, Mr. HARIDOPOLOS, Mr. LARSEN of Washington, 
Ms. BUDZINSKI, Mr. THOMPSON
of California, Mr. GRAY, Mr. 
RESCHENTHALER, Ms. SALAZAR, Mr. CRENSHAW, Mrs. BICE, Mr. BELL, 
Ms. ESCOBAR, Mr. MCGUIRE, Mr. MORAN, Mr. WEBER of Texas, Mr. 
CUELLAR, Mr. TONY GONZALES of Texas, Mr. STRONG, Mr. KELLY of 
Mississippi, Mr. GOODEN, Mr. WOMACK, Mr. NEHLS, Mr. ZINKE, Mr. 
MCCAUL, Mr. EZELL, Mr. BABIN, Mr. ELLZEY, Mr. COLLINS, Mr. WIL-
LIAMS of Texas, Mr. FALLON, and Mr. NUNN of Iowa 
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SEPTEMBER 26, 2025 
Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole 
House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed 
[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic] 
[For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on April 2, 2025] 
A BILL 
To require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to award grants 
to nonprofit organizations to assist such organizations 
in carrying out programs to provide service dogs to eligi-
ble veterans, 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 ‘‘Service Dogs Assisting 
Veterans Act’’ or the ‘‘SAVES Act’’. 
SEC. 2. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS PILOT PRO-
GRAM TO AWARD GRANTS FOR THE PROVI-
SION OF SERVICE DOGS TO VETERANS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 24 months after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans 
Affairs shall establish a pilot program under which the Sec-
retary shall award grants, on a competitive basis, to non-
profit entities to provide service dogs to eligible veterans. 
(b) APPLICATIONS.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—To be eligible to receive a 
grant under this section, a nonprofit entity shall sub-
mit 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-
retary to ensure that the use of the grant funds 
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results in an increased number of eligible vet-
erans who are provided with service dogs. 
(B) A description of the following services 
or commitments to be provided by the nonprofit 
entity: 
(i) The training that will be provided 
to eligible veterans who receive service dogs 
under the pilot program. 
(ii) The training of dogs that will serve 
as service dogs provided to eligible veterans 
under the program. 
(iii) Any support or services other than 
training under clauses (i) and (ii) that will 
be provided for such dogs and eligible vet-
erans. 
(iv) The plan for publicizing the avail-
ability of such service dogs through a mar-
keting campaign that targets eligible vet-
erans. 
(v) The commitment to humane treat-
ment standards for service dogs. 
(C) Documentation that demonstrates that 
the nonprofit entity has experience in training 
dogs as service dogs. 
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(D) The demonstrated experience of the non-
profit entity in training service dogs in compli-
ance with the requirements of the Americans 
with Disabilities Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12101 
et seq.). 
(c) AGREEMENT REQUIRED.—If the Secretary ap-
proves an application submitted by a nonprofit entity 
under subsection (b)(1), the Secretary shall require the enti-
ty, as a condition of the receipt of a grant under the pilot 
program to enter into an agreement under which the entity 
agrees to— 
(1) notify each veteran who receives a service dog 
provided using grant funds that the service dog is 
being paid for, in whole or in part, by the Depart-
ment of Veterans Affairs; 
(2) inform each such veteran of the benefits and 
services available from the Secretary for the veteran 
and the service dog; 
(3) not charge a fee to a veteran receiving a serv-
ice dog provided using grant funds; and 
(4) adhere to such other terms, conditions, and 
limitations as the Secretary determines appropriate. 
(d) AMOUNT OF GRANTS.—The Secretary shall make 
a grant in an amount that does not exceed $2,000,000 to 
each entity that enters into an agreement with the Secretary 
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under subsection (c). The Secretary shall establish intervals 
of payment for the administration of each such grant. 
(e) USE OF FUNDS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—A recipient of a grant under 
this section shall use the grant to plan, develop, im-
plement, and manage one or more programs that pro-
vide service dogs to eligible veterans. 
(2) LIMITATIONS.—The Secretary may estab-
lish— 
(A) a maximum amount that can be used 
by a grant recipient to cover administrative ex-
penses for each grant awarded under this section; 
and 
(B) other conditions or limitations on the 
use of grant amounts under this section. 
(f) VETERINARY INSURANCE.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in para-
graph (3), the Secretary may provide to each veteran 
who receives a service dog through 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 para-
graph (1), the Secretary shall continue to provide the 
policy to the veteran without regard to the continu-
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ation or termination of the pilot program, except as 
provided in paragraph (3). 
(3) DISCONTINUATION.—The Secretary shall dis-
continue the provision of a veterinary insurance pol-
icy under paragraph (1) if the Secretary determines 
doing so would be in the best interest of the veteran, 
the service dog, or the Federal Government. 
(g) TRAINING AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.—The Sec-
retary may provide training and technical assistance re-
lated to grant application and administration to appli-
cants for and recipients of grants under this section. 
(h) OVERSIGHT AND MONITORING.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary— 
(A) shall establish such oversight and moni-
toring requirements as the Secretary determines 
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 iden-
tified through the enforcement of such require-
ments. 
(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 
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the Secretary, such reports or answers in writing to 
specific questions, surveys, or questionnaires as the 
Secretary determines necessary to carry out the pilot 
program. 
(i) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) The term ‘‘eligible veteran’’ means a veteran 
who— 
(A) is enrolled in the system of annual pa-
tient enrollment of the Department of Veterans 
Affairs established and operated under section 
1705(a) of title 38, United States Code, or is oth-
erwise entitled to receive such care and services 
under subsection (c)(2) of such section; 
(B) has been prescribed a service dog by the 
Secretary; and 
(C) has one or more covered conditions. 
(2) The term ‘‘covered condition’’ means any of 
the following disabilities, conditions, or diagnoses for 
which the Secretary determines, based upon medical 
judgment, that it is optimal for the veteran to man-
age the disability, condition, or diagnosis and live 
independently through the assistance of a trained 
service dog: 
(A) Blindness or visual impairment. 
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(B) Loss of use of a limb, paralysis, or 
other significant mobility issue, including men-
tal health mobility. 
(C) Loss of hearing. 
(D) Post-traumatic stress disorder. 
(E) Traumatic brain injury. 
(F) Any other disability, condition, or diag-
nosis for which the Secretary determines, based 
on medical judgment, that it is optimal for the 
veteran to manage the disability, condition, or 
diagnosis, and live independently through the as-
sistance of a service dog. 
(3) The term ‘‘service dog’’ means a dog that is 
individually trained to do work or perform tasks for 
the benefit of an individual with a disability, includ-
ing a physical, sensory, psychiatric, intellectual, or 
other mental disability. 
(j) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 
authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section 
$10,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2027 through 2031. 
(k) TERMINATION.—The authority to carry out a pilot 
program under this section shall terminate on September 
30, 2031. 
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SEC. 3. EXTENSION OF CERTAIN LIMITS ON PAYMENTS OF 
PENSION. 
Section 5503(d)(7) of title 38, United States Code, is 
amended by striking ‘‘November 30, 2031’’ and inserting 
‘‘February 28, 2033’’. 
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Union Calendar No. 264 
119TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 2605 
[Report No. 119–310] 
A BILL 
To require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to 
award grants to nonprofit organizations to assist 
such organizations in carrying out programs to 
provide service dogs to eligible veterans, and for 
other purposes. 
SEPTEMBER 26, 2025 
Reported with an amendment, committed to the Com-
mittee of the Whole House on the State of the Union, 
and ordered to be printed 
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