[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2493 Introduced in House (IH)]

114th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2493

To establish a grant program to encourage the use of assistance dogs by 
           certain members of the Armed Forces and veterans.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 21, 2015

  Mr. McGovern (for himself, Mr. Schiff, Mr. Pocan, Ms. Clarke of New 
York, Ms. Clark of Massachusetts, Mr. Grijalva, Mr. Neal, Mr. Lipinski, 
  Ms. Tsongas, Mr. DeFazio, Mr. Hastings, Mr. Delaney, Ms. Titus, Mr. 
    Cleaver, Ms. Moore, Mr. Quigley, and Mr. Honda) introduced the 
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Armed Services, 
and in addition to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, for a period to 
      be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for 
consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the 
                          committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To establish a grant program to encourage the use of assistance dogs by 
           certain members of the Armed Forces and veterans.

    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 ``Wounded Warrior Service Dog Act of 
2015''.

SEC. 2. WOUNDED WARRIOR K-9 CORPS.

    (a) Grants Authorized.--Subject to the availability of 
appropriations provided for such purpose, the Secretary of Defense and 
the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall jointly establish a program, to 
be known as the ``K-9 Companion Corps Program'', to award competitive 
grants to nonprofit organizations to assist such organizations in the 
planning, designing, establishing, or operating (or any combination 
thereof) of programs to provide assistance dogs to covered members and 
veterans.
    (b) Use of Funds.--
            (1) In general.--The recipient of a grant under this 
        section shall use the grant to carry out programs that provide 
        assistance dogs to covered members and veterans who have a 
        disability described in paragraph (2).
            (2) Disability.--A disability described in this paragraph 
        is any of the following:
                    (A) Blindness or visual impairment.
                    (B) Loss of use of a limb, paralysis, or other 
                significant mobility issues.
                    (C) Loss of hearing.
                    (D) Traumatic brain injury.
                    (E) Post-traumatic stress disorder.
                    (F) Any other disability that the Secretary of 
                Defense and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs consider 
                appropriate.
            (3) Timing of award.--The Secretaries may not award a grant 
        under this section to reimburse a recipient for costs 
        previously incurred by the recipient in carrying out a program 
        to provide assistance dogs to covered members and veterans 
        unless the recipient elects for the award to be such a 
        reimbursement.
    (c) Eligibility.--To be eligible to receive a grant under this 
section, a nonprofit organization shall submit an application to the 
Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs at such 
time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary 
of Defense and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs may require. Such 
application shall include--
            (1) a proposal for the evaluation required by subsection 
        (d); and
            (2) a description of--
                    (A) the training that will be provided by the 
                organization to covered members and veterans;
                    (B) the training of dogs that will serve as 
                assistance dogs;
                    (C) the aftercare services that the organization 
                will provide for such dogs and covered members and 
                veterans;
                    (D) the plan for publicizing the availability of 
                such dogs through a targeted marketing campaign to 
                covered members and veterans;
                    (E) the recognized expertise of the organization in 
                breeding and training such dogs;
                    (F) the commitment of the organization to 
                comparable standards as that of the International Guide 
                Dog Federation or Assistance Dogs International;
                    (G) the commitment of the organization to humane 
                standards for animals; and
                    (H) the experience of the organization with working 
                with military medical treatment facilities or medical 
                facilities of the Department of Veterans Affairs.
    (d) Evaluation.--The Secretary shall require each recipient of a 
grant to use a portion of the funds made available through the grant to 
conduct an evaluation of the effectiveness of the activities carried 
out through the grant by such recipient.
    (e) Definitions.--In this Act:
            (1) Assistance dog.--The term ``assistance dog'' means a 
        dog specifically trained to perform physical tasks to mitigate 
        the effects of a disability described in subsection (b)(2), 
        except that the term does not include a dog specifically 
        trained for comfort or personal defense.
            (2) Covered members and veterans.--The term ``covered 
        members and veterans'' means--
                    (A) with respect to a member of the Armed Forces, 
                such member who is--
                            (i) receiving medical treatment, 
                        recuperation, or therapy under chapter 55 of 
                        title 10, United States Code;
                            (ii) in medical hold or medical holdover 
                        status; or
                            (iii) covered under section 1202 or 1205 of 
                        title 10, United States Code; and
                    (B) with respect to a veteran, a veteran who is 
                enrolled in the health care system established under 
                section 1705(a) of title 38, United States Code.
    (f) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this Act $5,000,000 for each of fiscal years 
2016 through 2020.
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