[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2948 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 2948

   To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out a pilot 
          program for work therapy using service dog training.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           November 21, 2019

Mr. Tillis (for himself, Ms. Sinema, Mrs. Fischer, and Mrs. Feinstein) 
introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the 
                     Committee on Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out a pilot 
          program for work therapy using service dog training.

    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 ``K9s for Veterans Therapy Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress makes the following findings:
            (1) According to the analyses of veteran suicide published 
        by the Department of Veterans Affairs in August 2016 and titled 
        ``Suicide Among Veterans and Other Americans'', and in June 
        2018, titled ``VA National Suicide Date Report''--
                    (A) an average of 20 veterans died by suicide each 
                day in 2014;
                    (B) mental health disorders, including major 
                depression and other mood disorders, have been 
                associated with increased risk for suicide;
                    (C) since 2001, the proportion of users of health 
                care from the Veterans Health Administration with 
                mental health conditions or substance use disorders has 
                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 diagnosis but were not at 
                risk enough to require enhanced care from a mental 
                health provider.
            (2) 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 (in this section referred to as 
        ``PTSD''), and new, rigorous scientific research provides 
        persuasive weight to the growing anecdotal evidence that 
        service dogs ameliorate the symptoms associated with PTSD, and 
        in particular, may help prevent veteran suicide.
            (3) Several organizations have proven track records of 
        training service dogs for veterans with mental health 
        diagnoses, including PTSD, and dramatically improving their 
        quality of life, ability to re-enter society, and overall 
        health and wellness.

SEC. 3. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS PILOT PROGRAM FOR WORK THERAPY 
              USING SERVICE DOG TRAINING.

    (a) In General.--Commencing not later than 120 days after the date 
of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall 
carry out a pilot program under which the Secretary shall make grants 
to one or more appropriate non-government entities for the purpose of 
assessing the effectiveness of addressing symptoms of post-deployment 
mental health and post-traumatic stress disorder through a therapeutic 
medium of veterans training service dogs intended for veterans with 
disabilities.
    (b) Duration of Pilot Program.--The pilot program required by 
subsection (a) shall be carried out during the five-year period 
beginning on the date of the commencement of the pilot program.
    (c) Conditions on Receipt of Grants.--As a condition of receiving a 
grant under this section, a non-government entity shall--
            (1) submit to the Secretary certification that the entity 
        is an organization described in section 501(c)(3) of the 
        Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and is exempt from taxation under 
        section 501(a) of such Code that--
                    (A) trains service dogs for veterans with 
                disabilities; and
                    (B) is accredited by, or adheres to standards 
                comparable to those of, an accrediting organization 
                with demonstrated experience, national scope, and 
                recognized leadership and expertise in the training of 
                service dogs and education in the use of service dogs;
            (2) agree to cover all costs to provide services under this 
        section in excess of the grant amount;
            (3) agree to reaccept or replace the service dog trained by 
        the veteran, if necessary, as determined by the organization 
        and the veteran conducting the training;
            (4) provide a wellness certification from a licensed 
        veterinarian for any dog participating in the pilot program;
            (5) employ at least one person with clinical experience 
        related to mental health;
            (6) ensure that veterans participating in the pilot program 
        receive training from service dog training instructors for a 
        period of time determined appropriate by the organization and 
        the Secretary, including service skills to address or alleviate 
        symptoms unique to the needs of veterans;
            (7) agree to provide lectures on service dog training 
        methodologies and practical hands-on training and grooming of 
        service dogs;
            (8) agree that in hiring service dog training instructors 
        to carry out training under the pilot program, the non-
        government entity will give a preference to veterans who have 
        successfully graduated from post-traumatic stress disorder or 
        other residential treatment program and who have received 
        adequate certification in service dog training;
            (9) agree not to use shock collars, choke collars, or prong 
        collars as training tools and to use positive reinforcement 
        training;
            (10) agree that upon the conclusion of training provided 
        using the grant funds--
                    (A) the veteran who received the training will keep 
                the dog he or she trained unless the veteran and the 
                health care provider of the veteran decide it is not in 
                the best interest of the veteran;
                    (B) if the veteran does not adopt the dog, the 
                entity will be responsible for caring for and 
                appropriately placing the dog;
                    (C) the Department of Veterans Affairs will have no 
                additional responsibility to provide for any benefits 
                under this section; and
                    (D) the Department of Veterans Affairs will have no 
                liability with respect to the dog;
            (11) provide follow-up support service for the life of the 
        dog, including a contact plan between the veteran and the 
        entity to allow the veteran to reach out for and receive 
        adequate help with the service dog and the organization to 
        communicate with the veteran to ensure the service dog is being 
        properly cared for; and
            (12) submit to the Secretary an application containing such 
        information, certification, and assurances as the Secretary may 
        require.
    (d) Veteran Eligibility.--
            (1) In general.--For the 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 recommended for the pilot program 
                under this section by a qualified health care provider 
                or clinical team based on the medical judgment that the 
                veteran may benefit from participating in the pilot 
                program; and
                    (C) agrees to successfully complete training 
                provided by a non-government entity that receives a 
                grant under this section.
            (2) Relationship to participation in other program.--
        Veterans may participate in the pilot program under this 
        section in conjunction with the compensated work therapy 
        program of the Department of Veterans Affairs.
            (3) Continuing eligibility requirement.--To remain eligible 
        to participate in the pilot program, a veteran shall see the 
        health care provider or clinical team of the Department of 
        Veterans Affairs treating the veteran for post-traumatic stress 
        disorder not less frequently than once every 180 days to 
        determine, based on a clinical evaluation of efficacy, whether 
        the veteran continues to benefit from the pilot program.
            (4) Care for service dog.--If at any point a veteran is no 
        longer able or willing to care for a service dog provided to 
        the veteran under this section, the entity 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.
    (e) Collection of Data.--In carrying out this section, the 
Secretary shall--
            (1) develop metrics and other appropriate means to measure, 
        with respect to veterans participation in the pilot program--
                    (A) the improvement in psychosocial function and 
                therapeutic compliance of such veterans;
                    (B) changes with respect to the dependence of such 
                veterans on prescription narcotics and psychotropic 
                medication; and
                    (C) quality of life indicators and other 
                appropriate measures with respect to such veterans;
            (2) establish processes to document and track the progress 
        of such veterans under the pilot program in terms of the 
        benefits and improvements noted as a result of the pilot 
        program; and
            (3) with respect to any veteran who decides to keep the dog 
        he or she has personally trained, the Secretary shall continue 
        to collect the data under paragraphs (1) and (2) during the 
        five-year period following the date on which the veteran 
        decides to keep the dog.
    (f) Comptroller General Briefings and Report.--
            (1) Initial briefing.--Not later than one year after the 
        date of the commencement of the pilot program under subsection 
        (a), the Comptroller General of the United States shall provide 
        to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the Senate and the 
        Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the House of Representatives 
        a briefing on the methodology established for the pilot 
        program.
            (2) Follow-up briefing.--Not later than two years after the 
        briefing on the methodology established for the pilot program 
        under paragraph (1), the Comptroller General shall provide to 
        the committees specified in paragraph (1) a briefing that 
        includes--
                    (A) an assessment of the elements required for the 
                report under paragraph (3)(B); and
                    (B) if there are any such elements that cannot be 
                included in the briefing--
                            (i) an explanation as to why those elements 
                        cannot be included; and
                            (ii) such recommendations as the 
                        Comptroller General may have to improve the 
                        pilot program to ensure such elements will be 
                        included in the report.
            (3) Final report.--
                    (A) In general.--Not later than 270 days after the 
                date on which the pilot program terminates, the 
                Comptroller General shall submit to the committees 
                specified in paragraph (1) a report on the pilot 
                program.
                    (B) Elements.--The report required by subparagraph 
                (A) shall include an evaluation of the approach and 
                methodology used for the pilot program with respect 
                to--
                            (i) helping veterans with post-traumatic 
                        stress disorder return to civilian life;
                            (ii) relevant metrics, including reduction 
                        in scores under the post-traumatic stress 
                        disorder check-list (PCL-5), improvement in 
                        psychosocial function, and therapeutic 
                        compliance; and
                            (iii) reducing the dependence of 
                        participants on prescription narcotics and 
                        psychotropic medication.
    (g) Service Dog Training Instructor Defined.--In this section, the 
term ``service dog training instructor'' means an instructor who 
provides the direct training of veterans with post-traumatic stress 
disorder and other post-deployment issues in the art and science of 
service dog training and handling.
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