PAWS for Veterans Therapy Act
Bill: H.R.1448 | Sponsor: Rep. Stivers, Steve (R-OH)
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security

Summary:
Puppies Assisting Wounded Servicemembers for Veterans Therapy Act or the PAWS for Veterans Therapy Act
This bill implements a program and a policy related to service dog therapy for veterans. Specifically, the bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to implement a five-year pilot program to provide canine training to eligible veterans diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder as an element of a complementary and integrative health program. Eligible veterans are those who are enrolled in the VA health care system and have been recommended for participation by a qualified mental health care provider or clinical team.
The VA must seek to enter agreements containing specified elements with accredited nongovernmental entities that have demonstrated ability to provide canine training.
Veterans who participate in the program are authorized to adopt the dog they assisted in training if their health provider determines it is in the best interest of the veteran.
The VA must establish processes to document and track the progress of participating veterans with respect to health benefits and improvements.
The Government Accountability Office must brief Congress and submit a report on the program.
The bill also authorizes the VA to provide service dogs to veterans with mental illnesses, regardless of whether they have a mobility impairment.

[117th Congress Public Law 37]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]



[[Page 135 STAT. 329]]

Public Law 117-37
117th Congress

                                 An Act


 
To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out a pilot program 
 on dog training therapy, and to amend title 38, United States Code, to 
 authorize the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to provide service dogs to 
        veterans with mental illnesses who do not have mobility 
          impairments. <<NOTE: Aug. 25, 2021 -  [H.R. 1448]>> 

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled, <<NOTE: Puppies 
Assisting Wounded Servicemembers for Veterans Therapy Act.>> 
SECTION 1. <<NOTE: 38 USC 101 note.>>  SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Puppies Assisting Wounded 
Servicemembers for Veterans Therapy Act'' or the ``PAWS for Veterans 
Therapy Act''.
SEC. 2. <<NOTE: 38 USC 1714 note.>>  DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS 
                    AFFAIRS PILOT PROGRAM ON DOG TRAINING THERAPY.

    (a) <<NOTE: Deadline.>>  In General.--Not later than 180 days after 
the date of the enactment of the Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs 
shall commence the conduct of a pilot program to provide canine training 
to eligible veterans diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (in 
this section referred to as ``PTSD'') as an element of a complementary 
and integrative health program for such veterans.

    (b) Duration; Medical Centers.--
            (1) Duration.--The Secretary shall carry out the pilot 
        program under subsection (a) for a 5-year period beginning on 
        the date of the commencement of the pilot program.
            (2) Medical centers.--The Secretary shall ensure that such 
        pilot program is carried out by not fewer than five medical 
        centers of the Department of Veterans Affairs located in 
        geographically diverse areas.

    (c) <<NOTE: Determination.>>  Agreements With Entities.--In carrying 
out the pilot program under subsection (a), the Secretary shall seek to 
enter into agreements with nongovernmental entities that the Secretary 
determines have the demonstrated ability to provide the canine training 
specified in subsection (a).

    (d) Required Conditions.--The Secretary shall include in any 
agreement under subsection (c) conditions requiring that the 
nongovernmental entity seeking to enter into the agreement--
            (1) <<NOTE: Certification.>>  submits to the Secretary 
        certification that the entity is an accredited service dog 
        training organization;
            (2) <<NOTE: Determination.>>  agrees to ensure that veterans 
        participating in the pilot program under subsection (a) receive 
        training from certified service dog training instructors for a 
        period of time determined appropriate by the entity;
            (3) agrees to ensure that veterans participating in such 
        pilot program are prohibited from having access to a dog under

[[Page 135 STAT. 330]]

        such pilot program at any time during such participation without 
        the supervision of a certified service dog training instructor;
            (4) agrees to ensure that veterans participating in such 
        pilot program receive training in skills unique to the needs of 
        the veteran to address or alleviate PTSD symptoms of the 
        veteran;
            (5) agrees not to use shock collars or prong collars as 
        training tools and to use positive reinforcement training; and
            (6) agrees to provide any follow-up training support 
        specified in subsection (e)(2), as applicable.

    (e) Adoption of Dog.--
            (1) <<NOTE: Consultation. Determination.>>  In general.--A 
        veteran who has participated in the pilot program under 
        subsection (a) may adopt a dog that the veteran assisted in 
        training during such pilot program if the veteran and the 
        veteran's health provider (in consultation with the entity that 
        provided the canine training with respect to the dog under such 
        pilot program) determine that it is in the best interest of the 
        veteran.
            (2) Follow-up training support.--If a veteran adopts a dog 
        under paragraph (1), the entity that provided the canine 
        training with respect to the dog under the pilot program shall 
        provide follow-up training support for the life of the dog. Such 
        support shall include the provision of a contact plan between 
        the veteran and the entity that enables the veteran to seek and 
        receive assistance from the entity to ensure the dog is being 
        properly cared for.

    (f) Eligibility for Other Care and Treatment.--Participation in the 
pilot program under subsection (a) may not preclude a veteran from 
receiving any other medical care or treatment for PTSD furnished by the 
Department, including therapy, for which the veteran is otherwise 
eligible.
    (g) Collection of Data.--In carrying out this section, the Secretary 
shall--
            (1) develop metrics and other appropriate means to measure, 
        with respect to veterans participating in the pilot program 
        under subsection (a)--
                    (A) the number of such veterans participating;
                    (B) the satisfaction of such veterans with the pilot 
                program;
                    (C) <<NOTE: Determination.>>  whether participation 
                in the pilot program resulted in any clinically relevant 
                improvements for such veterans, as determined by the 
                health care provider or clinical team that referred the 
                veteran to participate in the pilot program; and
                    (D) such other factors as the Secretary may 
                determine appropriate; and
            (2) establish processes to document and track the progress 
        of such veterans under the pilot program with respect to health 
        benefits and improvements.

    (h) <<NOTE: Recommenda- tions.>>  Report by Secretary.--Not later 
than 1 year before the date on which the pilot program under subsection 
(a) terminates, the Secretary shall submit to the Committees on 
Veterans' Affairs of the House of Representatives and the Senate a 
report containing the recommendations of the Secretary regarding--
            (1) whether to extend or make permanent the pilot program; 
        and

[[Page 135 STAT. 331]]

            (2) the feasibility and advisability of expanding the pilot 
        program to address mental health conditions other than PTSD.

    (i) GAO Briefing and Study.--
            (1) <<NOTE: Deadline.>>  Briefing.--Not later than 1 year 
        after the date of the commencement of the pilot program under 
        subsection (a), 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 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 program. <<NOTE: Evaluation.>>  Such report shall 
        include an evaluation of the approach and methodology used for 
        the pilot program with respect to--
                    (A) assisting veterans with PTSD; and
                    (B) measuring relevant metrics, such as reduction in 
                scores under the Clinician Administered PTSD Scale 
                (CAPS), improvement in psychosocial function, and 
                therapeutic compliance.

    (j) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) The term ``accredited service dog training 
        organization'' means an organization described in section 
        501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 that--
                    (A) provides service dogs to veterans with PTSD; and
                    (B) is accredited by an accrediting organization 
                with demonstrated experience, national scope, and 
                recognized leadership and expertise in the training of 
                service dogs and education in the use of service dogs 
                (as determined by the Secretary).
            (2) The term ``eligible veteran'' means a veteran who--
                    (A) is enrolled in the patient enrollment system in 
                the Department of Veterans Affairs under section 1705 of 
                title 38, United States Code; and
                    (B) has been recommended for participation in the 
                pilot program under subsection (a) by a qualified mental 
                health care provider or clinical team based on medical 
                judgment that the veteran may benefit from such 
                participation with respect to the diagnosed PTSD of the 
                veteran.
            (3) The term ``service dog training instructor'' means an 
        instructor who provides the direct training of veterans with 
        PTSD in the art and science of service dog training and 
        handling.
SEC. 3. PROVISION OF SERVICE DOGS AND VETERINARY INSURANCE 
                    BENEFITS TO VETERANS WITH POST-TRAUMATIC 
                    STRESS DISORDER WHO DO NOT HAVE CERTAIN 
                    IMPAIRMENTS.

    (a) In General.--Section 1714 of title 38, United States Code, is 
amended by adding at the end the following new subsections:
    ``(e) The Secretary may provide a service dog to a veteran under 
subsection (c)(3) regardless of whether the veteran has a mobility 
impairment.
    ``(f)(1) The Secretary shall provide to any veteran described in 
paragraph (2) a commercially available veterinary insurance policy for 
each dog provided to such veteran under subsection (b) or (c).
    ``(2) A veteran described in this paragraph is a veteran who--

[[Page 135 STAT. 332]]

            ``(A) is diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder or a 
        visual, hearing, or substantial mobility impairment;
            ``(B) has received a dog under subsection (b) or (c) in 
        connection with such disorder or impairment; and
            ``(C) meets such other requirements as the Secretary may 
        prescribe.''.

    (b) <<NOTE: 38 USC 1714 note.>>  Applicability.--Section 1714(f) of 
title 38, United States Code, as added by subsection (a), shall apply 
with respect to a veteran provided a dog by the Secretary of Veterans 
Affairs on or after the date of the enactment of this Act.

    Approved August 25, 2021.

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY--H.R. 1448:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

HOUSE REPORTS: No. 117-31 (Comm. on Veterans' Affairs).
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 167 (2021):
            May 12, considered and passed House.
            Aug. 5, considered and passed Senate.

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