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[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 9525 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
118th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 9525
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
September 10, 2024
Mr. Luttrell (for himself, Mr. McGarvey, Mr. Hunt, Mr. Ciscomani, and
Mr. Van Orden) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Veterans' Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
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.
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 ``Service Dogs Assisting Veterans
Act'' or the ``SAVES Act''.
SEC. 2. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS PILOT PROGRAM TO AWARD GRANTS
FOR THE PROVISION OF SERVICE DOGS TO VETERANS.
(a) In General.--
(1) Pilot program required.--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 Secretary shall award grants, on a competitive basis, to
nonprofit entities to provide service dogs to eligible
veterans.
(2) Duration.--The Secretary shall carry out the pilot
program during the five-year period beginning on the date on
which the first grant is awarded under this section.
(b) Applications.--
(1) In general.--To be eligible to receive a grant under
this section, a nonprofit entity shall submit 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 nonprofit entity
will communicate with the Secretary to ensure an
increasing number of service dogs are provided to
veterans.
(B) A description of the following:
(i) The training that will be provided by
the nonprofit entity to eligible veterans.
(ii) The training of dogs that will serve
as service dogs.
(iii) Any additional support or services
the nonprofit entity will provide for such dogs
and eligible veterans.
(iv) The plan for publicizing the
availability of such dogs through a marketing
campaign that targets eligible veterans.
(v) The commitment of the nonprofit entity
to have humane standards for animals.
(C) Documentation certifying that the nonprofit
entity is accredited by Assistance Dogs International
or the International Guide Dog Federation.
(c) Award of Grants.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary shall award a grant to each
nonprofit entity for which the Secretary has approved an
application submitted under subsection (b)(1).
(2) Agreement required.--Before the provision of any grant
amounts to a nonprofit entity selected to receive a grant under
this section, the Secretary shall enter into an agreement,
containing such terms, conditions, and limitations as the
Secretary determines appropriate, with such entity.
(3) Grant amounts and intervals of payment.--The
Secretary--
(A) may establish a maximum amount to be awarded to
each nonprofit entity each fiscal year under this
section; and
(B) shall establish intervals of payment for the
administration of each grant awarded under this
section.
(d) Use of Funds.--
(1) In general.--A recipient of a grant under this section
shall use the grant amounts to plan, develop, implement, or
manage (or any combination thereof) one or more programs that
provide service dogs to eligible veterans.
(2) Administrative expenses.--The Secretary may establish a
maximum amount for each grant awarded under this section that
may be used by the recipient of the grant to cover
administrative expenses.
(3) Other conditions and limitations.--The Secretary may
establish other conditions or limitations on the use of grant
amounts under this section.
(e) Requirements for Grant Recipients.--
(1) Notifications and information.--A recipient of a grant
under this section shall--
(A) notify each veteran who receives a service dog
through such grant that the service dog is being paid
for, in whole or in part, by the Department of Veterans
Affairs; and
(B) inform each such veteran of the benefits and
services available from the Secretary for the veteran
and the service dog.
(2) Prohibition on certain fees.--A recipient of a grant
under this section may not charge a fee to a veteran receiving
a service dog through such grant.
(f) Process for Veterans With Mental Health Conditions.--
(1) In general.--A veteran with a mental health condition
seeking a service dog from a recipient of a grant under this
section shall meet with a mental health provider of the
Department.
(2) Evaluation and determination; request.--The mental
health provider and the care team of a veteran described in
paragraph (1) shall--
(A) evaluate the veteran and determine--
(i) whether the veteran has substantial
mobility limitations;
(ii) whether the mental health condition of
the veteran is the primary cause of such
limitations; and
(iii) whether a service dog would be the
optimal intervention or treatment approach for
the veteran; and
(B) if the mental health provider and the care team
determine that a service dog would be the optimal
intervention or treatment approach for the veteran,
request a service dog from a recipient of a grant under
this section on behalf of the veteran through
coordination with the Prosthetic and Sensory Aids
Service of the medical center of the Department local
to the veteran.
(g) Veterinary Insurance.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary shall 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 paragraph (1), the
Secretary shall continue to provide the policy to the veteran
without regard to the continuation or termination of the pilot
program.
(h) Training and Technical Assistance.--The Secretary may provide
training and technical assistance to recipients of grants under this
section.
(i) Oversight and Monitoring.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary--
(A) shall establish such oversight and monitoring
requirements as the Secretary determines appropriate to
ensure that grant amounts awarded under this section
are used appropriately; and
(B) may take such actions as the Secretary
determines necessary to address any issues identified
through the enforcement of such requirements.
(2) Reports and answers.--The Secretary may require each
recipient of a grant under this section to provide, in such
form as may be prescribed by 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.
(j) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Eligible veteran.--
(A) In general.--The term ``eligible veteran''
means a veteran who--
(i) is enrolled in the system of annual
patient enrollment of the Department
established and operated under subsection (a)
of section 1705 of title 38, United States
Code, or is otherwise entitled to hospital care
and medical services under subsection (c)(2) of
such section; and
(ii) has one or more disabilities,
conditions, or diagnoses described in
subparagraph (B).
(B) Disability, condition, diagnosis described.--A
disability, condition, or diagnosis described in this
subparagraph is any of the following:
(i) Blindness or visual impairment.
(ii) Loss of use of a limb, paralysis, or
other significant mobility issue, including
mental health mobility.
(iii) Loss of hearing.
(iv) Post-traumatic stress disorder.
(v) Traumatic brain injury.
(vi) Any other disability, condition, or
diagnosis 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 assistance of a service dog.
(2) Pilot program.--The term ``pilot program'' means the
pilot program required by subsection (a)(1).
(3) Service dog.--The term ``service dog'' means any dog
that is individually trained to do work or perform tasks that
are--
(A) for the benefit of a veteran with a disability,
condition, or diagnosis described in paragraph (1)(B);
and
(B) directly related to the disability, condition,
or diagnosis of the veteran.
(k) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be
appropriated to carry out this section $10,000,000 for each of the five
consecutive fiscal years following the fiscal year in which the pilot
program is established under subsection (a).
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
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