Expanding Access for Veterans' Service Animals Act

Bill: 113-hr-5333
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Daines, Steve [R-MT-At Large]
Introduced: 2014-07-31
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures

Department of Veterans Affairs

Health care coverage and access

Health facilities and institutions

Licensing and registrations

Mental health

Service animals

Veterans' medical care
Latest action: action_date: 2014-08-15
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.

Summaries:
action_date: 2014-07-31
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p>Expanding Access for Veterans' Service Animals Act - Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) certified therapeutic animals should be provided the same access to facilities of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) as service animals, and (2) the Secretary of Veterans Affairs should implement a certification process for therapeutic animals that mitigate the effects of a medically diagnosed mental health condition.</p> <p>Bars the Secretary from prohibiting any service animal that is allowed to access VA medical facilities from accessing the room of a patient who is receiving inpatient care at such a facility, including with respect to staying overnight. Authorizes the Secretary to prescribe regulations to ensure the safety and health of VA employees, patients, and the public, including by requiring that a patient maintain responsibility for such animal.</p>

tv_txt: I 113th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 5333 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES July 31, 2014 Mr. Daines introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs A BILL To amend title 38, United States Code, to ensure that a service animal of a patient receiving inpatient medical care at a medical facility of the Department of Veterans Affairs is able to access the room of the patient.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Expanding Access for Veterans’ Service Animals Act . 2. Access of service animals at medical facilities of Department of Veterans Affairs (a) Sense of Congress It is the sense of Congress that— (1) certified therapeutic animals should be provided the same access to facilities of the Department of Veterans Affairs as service animals; and (2) to ensure such access, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs should create and implement a certification process for therapeutic animals that mitigate the effects of a medically diagnosed mental health condition. (b) Access of service animals to medical facilities Section 901(f) of title 38, United States Code, is amended— (1) by redesignating paragraph (2) as paragraph (3); and (2) by inserting after paragraph (1) the following new paragraph (2): (2) (A) Except as provided by subparagraph (B), the Secretary may not prohibit a covered service dog, or any other service animal that is allowed to access medical facilities of the Department, of a patient who is receiving inpatient care at a medical facility of the Department from accessing the room of the patient, including with respect to staying overnight. (B) In carrying out subparagraph (A), the Secretary may prescribe regulations to ensure the safety and health of employees of the Department, patients, and the public, including by requiring that a patient maintain responsibility for the covered service dog or service animal. .