[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2134 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

112th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 2134

     To amend title 10, United States Code, to provide for certain 
     requirements relating to the retirement, adoption, care, and 
     recognition of military working dogs, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           February 27, 2012

Mr. Blumenthal introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
              referred to the Committee on Armed Services

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
     To amend title 10, United States Code, to provide for certain 
     requirements relating to the retirement, adoption, care, and 
     recognition of military working dogs, 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 ``Canine Members of the Armed Forces 
Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress makes the following findings:
            (1) Each of the Armed Forces and other Government agencies, 
        including the Secret Service, the Central Intelligence Agency, 
        and the Transportation Security Administration, use military 
        working dogs (MWDs) in service to the country.
            (2) Since September 11, 2011, military working dogs have 
        served in Iraq and Afghanistan and have been trained in 
        explosive detection, narcotic detection, sentry, patrol, 
        tracking, and other specific duties.
            (3) Military working dogs, through their training, have 
        prevented injuries and saved the lives of thousands of United 
        States citizens.
            (4) Military working dogs perform critical and varied roles 
        that go far beyond their current designation as ``equipment.''

SEC. 3. RETIREMENT AND ADOPTION OF MILITARY WORKING DOGS.

    (a) Retirement and Reclassification of Military Working Dogs.--
Section 2583 of title 10, United States Code, is amended--
            (1) by redesignating subsections (f) and (g) as subsections 
        (h) and (i), respectively; and
            (2) by inserting after subsection (e) the following new 
        subsections:
    ``(f) Classification of Military Working Dogs.--The Secretary of 
Defense shall classify military working dogs as canine members of the 
armed forces. Such dogs shall not be classified as equipment.
    ``(g) Transfer of Retired Military Working Dogs.--If the Secretary 
of the military department concerned determines that a military working 
dog should be retired, and no suitable adoption is available at the 
military facility where the dog is located, the Secretary may transfer 
the dog--
            ``(1) to the 341st Training Squadron; or
            ``(2) to another location for adoption under this 
        section.''.
    (b) Acceptance of Frequent Traveler Miles.--Section 2613(d) of such 
title is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (1)(B), by striking ``; or'' and inserting 
        a semicolon;
            (2) in paragraph (2), by striking the period at the end and 
        inserting ``; or''; and
            (3) by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
            ``(3) facilitating the adoption of a military working dog 
        under section 2583 of this title.''.

SEC. 4. VETERINARY CARE FOR RETIRED MILITARY WORKING DOGS.

    (a) Veterinary Care.--
            (1) In general.--Chapter 50 of title 10, United States 
        Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new 
        section:
``Sec. 993. Military working dogs: veterinary care for retired military 
              working dogs
    ``(a) In General.--The Secretary of Defense shall establish and 
maintain a system to provide for the veterinary care of retired 
military working dogs.
    ``(b) Eligible Dogs.--(1) A retired military working dog eligible 
for veterinary care under this section is any military working dog 
adopted under section 2583 of this title.
    ``(2) The veterinary care provided a military working dog under 
this section shall be provided during the life of the dog beginning on 
the date on which the dog is adopted under such section 2583.
    ``(c) Administration.--(1) The Secretary shall administer the 
system required by this section under a contract awarded by the 
Secretary for that purpose.
    ``(2)(A) The contract under this subsection shall be awarded to a 
private non-profit entity selected by the Secretary from among such 
entities submitting an application therefor that have such experience 
and expertise as the Secretary considers appropriate for purposes of 
this subsection.
    ``(B) An entity seeking the award of a contract under this 
subsection shall submit to the Secretary an application therefor in 
such form, and containing such information, as the Secretary shall 
require.
    ``(3) The term of any contract under this subsection shall be such 
duration as the Secretary shall specify.
    ``(d) Standards of Care.--(1) The veterinary care provided under 
the system required by this section shall meet such standards as the 
Secretary shall establish and from time to time update.
    ``(2) The standards required by this subsection shall include the 
following:
            ``(A) Provisions regarding the types of care to be provided 
        to retired military working dogs.
            ``(B) Provisions regarding the entities (including private 
        veterinarians and entities) qualified to provide the care.
            ``(C) Provisions regarding the facilities, including 
        military installations, government facilities, and private 
        facilities, in which the care may be provided.
            ``(D) A requirement that complete histories be maintained 
        on the health and use in research of retired military working 
        dogs.
            ``(E) Such other matters as the Secretary considers 
        appropriate.
    ``(3) The Secretary shall consult with the board of directors of 
the non-profit private entity awarded the contract under subsection (c) 
in establishing and updating standards of care under this subsection.
    ``(e) Coverage of Costs.--(1) Except as provided in paragraph (2), 
any costs of operation and administration of the system required by 
this section, and of any veterinary care provided under the system, 
shall be covered by such combination of the following as the Secretary 
and the non-profit entity awarded the contract under subsection (c) 
jointly consider appropriate:
            ``(A) Contributions from the non-profit entity.
            ``(B) Payments for such care by owners or guardians of the 
        retired military working dogs receiving such care.
            ``(C) Other appropriate non-Federal sources of funds.
    ``(2) Funds provided by the Federal Government--
            ``(A) may not be used--
                    ``(i) to provide veterinary care under the system 
                required by this section; or
                    ``(ii) to pay for the normal operation of the non-
                profit entity awarded the contract under subsection 
                (c); and
            ``(B) may be used to carry out the duties of the Secretary 
        under subsections (a), (c), (d), and (f).
    ``(f) Regulations.--The Secretary shall prescribe regulations for 
the discharge of the requirements and authorities in this section, 
including regulations on the standards of care required by subsection 
(d).''.
            (2) Clerical amendment.--The table of sections at the 
        beginning of chapter 50 of such title is amended by adding at 
        the end the following new item:

``993. Military working dogs: veterinary care for retired military 
                            working dogs.''.
    (b) Regulations.--The Secretary of Defense shall prescribe the 
regulations required by subsection (f) of section 993 of title 10, 
United States Code (as added by subsection (a) of this section), not 
later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act.

SEC. 5. RECOGNITION OF SERVICE OF MILITARY WORKING DOGS.

    Section 1125 of title 10, United States Code, is amended--
            (1) by inserting ``(a) General Authority.--'' before ``The 
        Secretary of Defense''; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following new subsection:
    ``(b) Recognition of Service of Military Working Dogs.--The 
Secretary of Defense shall create a decoration or other appropriate 
recognition to recognize military working dogs under the jurisdiction 
of the Secretary that are killed in action or perform an exceptionally 
meritorious or courageous act in service to the United States.''.
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