[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5333 Introduced in House (IH)]

113th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 5333

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.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    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.

    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 ``Expanding Access for Veterans' 
Service Animals Act''.

SEC. 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.''.
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