PAWS Act of 2021
Bill: H.R.1022 | Sponsor: Rep. Rutherford, John H. (R-FL)
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security

Summary:
Puppies Assisting Wounded Servicemembers Act of 2021 or the PAWS Act of 2021
This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to implement a grant program for the purpose of pairing service dogs with eligible veterans. Organizations that receive grants must provide veterinary health insurance coverage, hardware, and travel expenses for each service dog and veteran participating in the program.
Eligible veterans are those who (1) are enrolled in the VA health care system, (2) have been evaluated and treated for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) but remain diagnosed with PTSD, (3) may benefit from a service dog, and (4) agree to successfully complete training provided by an eligible organization. Veterans are required to see a VA health care provider at least once every six months to determine whether the veteran continues to benefit from a service dog.
Eligible organizations are nonprofit organizations that
Any improvement in PTSD symptoms as a result of the provision of a service dog shall not affect the veteran's eligibility for any other VA benefits.
The Government Accountability Office must report on the grant program.

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.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives 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''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS; SENSE OF CONGRESS.

    (a) Findings.--Congress makes the following findings:
            (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 suicide each 
                day during 2014;
                    (B) mental health disorders, including major 
                depression and other mood disorders, have been 
                associated with increased risk for suicide;
                    (C) the proportion of users of the Veterans Health 
                Administration with mental health conditions 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 substance use disorder 
                diagnoses who are in treatment 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) Pairing a service dog with a veteran costs 
        approximately $25,000, including training of the service dog as 
        well as training of the veteran with the service dog and 
        follow-up services and support.
            (3) Organizations like K9s For Warriors and other members 
        of the Association of Service Dog Providers for Military 
        Veterans have proven track-records of training service dogs for 
        veterans with severe post-traumatic stress disorder and 
        dramatically improving those veterans' quality of life, ability 
        to re-enter society, and, most importantly, their chances of 
        survival.
            (4) New, rigorous scientific research provides persuasive 
        weight to the growing anecdotal evidence that service dogs 
        ameliorate the symptoms associated with post-traumatic stress 
        disorder, and in particular, help prevent veteran suicide.
    (b) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that 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.

SEC. 3. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS PROGRAM TO PROVIDE GRANTS FOR 
              THE PROVISION OF SERVICE DOGS TO CERTAIN VETERANS WITH 
              SEVERE POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER.

    (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 receive 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 associated with the 
        provision of such benefits in excess 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 containing such 
        information, certification, and assurances 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 veteran 
        participating in the program;
            (2) for each service dog provided, to provide--
                    (A) commercially available or government-guaranteed 
                veterinary health insurance to maintain 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 diagnosed disorder of the veteran; and
            (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 additional amount for such the travel expenses, 
to be calculated in the same manner as similar travel expenses provided 
pursuant to section 111 of title 38, United States Code. Such payment 
shall be in addition to any other benefits 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 qualified health care 
                provider, as rated on the post-traumatic stress 
                disorder checklist (PCL-5);
                    (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 service dog; and
                    (D) agrees to successfully complete training 
                provided by an eligible organization in conjunction 
                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 Department of Veterans Affairs treating 
        the veteran for such a disorder at least once every six months 
        to determine, 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 recourse to ensure the safety of both the 
        veteran and the service dog.
    (f) Approval of Grant Applications.--The Secretary of Veterans 
Affairs may review an application submitted by an eligible organization 
for a grant under this section only after the organization accepts an 
eligible veteran into an appropriate program. The Secretary shall 
approve 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 
Department 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 benefit under the laws 
administered by the Secretary.
    (h) Metrics.--In carrying out this section, the Secretary shall--
            (1) develop metrics and other appropriate means to measure, 
        with respect to veterans participating in the program, the 
        improvement in psychosocial function and therapeutic compliance 
        of such veterans and changes with respect to the dependence on 
        prescription narcotics and psychotropic medication of such 
        veterans; and
            (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 section terminates, the 
        Comptroller General shall submit 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 return to 
                civilian life;
                    (B) relevant metrics, including any reduction in 
                metrics, including reduction in scores under the post-
                traumatic stress disorder checklist (PCL-5), 
                improvement in psychosocial function, and therapeutic 
                compliance; and
                    (C) reducing the dependence of participants on 
                prescription narcotics and psychotropic medication.
    (j) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated for the period of fiscal year 2021 through fiscal year 
2024, $10,000,000 to carry out the program under this section.
    (k) Termination.--The authority to carry out a program under this 
section shall terminate on the date that is 3 years after the date of 
the enactment of this Act. An eligible veteran in possession of a 
service dog furnished under the program as of the date of the 
termination of the program may keep the service dog after the 
termination of the program for the life of the dog.
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