Puppies Assisting Wounded Servicemembers Act of 2019 or the PAWS Act of 2019
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 shall 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.
[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3103 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
116th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 3103
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.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
June 5, 2019
Mr. Rutherford (for himself, Mr. Cisneros, Mr. Waltz, Mr. Lawson of
Florida, and Mr. Stivers) introduced the following bill; which was
referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
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 2019'' or the ``PAWS Act of 2019''.
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.
(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 2019 through fiscal year
2022, $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.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
Llama 3.2 · runs locally in your browser
Ask anything about this bill. The AI reads the full text to answer.
Enter to send · Shift+Enter for new line