[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1448 Engrossed in House (EH)]

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117th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1448

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 AN ACT


 
   To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out a pilot 
 program on dog training therapy, and to amend title 38, United States 
Code, to authorize the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to provide service 
    dogs to veterans with mental illnesses who do not have mobility 
                              impairments.

    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 ``Puppies Assisting Wounded 
Servicemembers for Veterans Therapy Act'' or the ``PAWS for Veterans 
Therapy Act''.

SEC. 2. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS PILOT PROGRAM ON DOG TRAINING 
              THERAPY.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the 
enactment of the Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall commence 
the conduct of a pilot program to provide canine training to eligible 
veterans diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (in this section 
referred to as ``PTSD'') as an element of a complementary and 
integrative health program for such veterans.
    (b) Duration; Medical Centers.--
            (1) Duration.--The Secretary shall carry out the pilot 
        program under subsection (a) for a 5-year period beginning on 
        the date of the commencement of the pilot program.
            (2) Medical centers.--The Secretary shall ensure that such 
        pilot program is carried out by not fewer than five medical 
        centers of the Department of Veterans Affairs located in 
        geographically diverse areas.
    (c) Agreements With Entities.--In carrying out the pilot program 
under subsection (a), the Secretary shall seek to enter into agreements 
with nongovernmental entities that the Secretary determines have the 
demonstrated ability to provide the canine training specified in 
subsection (a).
    (d) Required Conditions.--The Secretary shall include in any 
agreement under subsection (c) conditions requiring that the 
nongovernmental entity seeking to enter into the agreement--
            (1) submits to the Secretary certification that the entity 
        is an accredited service dog training organization;
            (2) agrees to ensure that veterans participating in the 
        pilot program under subsection (a) receive training from 
        certified service dog training instructors for a period of time 
        determined appropriate by the entity;
            (3) agrees to ensure that veterans participating in such 
        pilot program are prohibited from having access to a dog under 
        such pilot program at any time during such participation 
        without the supervision of a certified service dog training 
        instructor;
            (4) agrees to ensure that veterans participating in such 
        pilot program receive training in skills unique to the needs of 
        the veteran to address or alleviate PTSD symptoms of the 
        veteran;
            (5) agrees not to use shock collars or prong collars as 
        training tools and to use positive reinforcement training; and
            (6) agrees to provide any follow-up training support 
        specified in subsection (e)(2), as applicable.
    (e) Adoption of Dog.--
            (1) In general.--A veteran who has participated in the 
        pilot program under subsection (a) may adopt a dog that the 
        veteran assisted in training during such pilot program if the 
        veteran and the veteran's health provider (in consultation with 
        the entity that provided the canine training with respect to 
        the dog under such pilot program) determine that it is in the 
        best interest of the veteran.
            (2) Follow-up training support.--If a veteran adopts a dog 
        under paragraph (1), the entity that provided the canine 
        training with respect to the dog under the pilot program shall 
        provide follow-up training support for the life of the dog. 
        Such support shall include the provision of a contact plan 
        between the veteran and the entity that enables the veteran to 
        seek and receive assistance from the entity to ensure the dog 
        is being properly cared for.
    (f) Eligibility for Other Care and Treatment.--Participation in the 
pilot program under subsection (a) may not preclude a veteran from 
receiving any other medical care or treatment for PTSD furnished by the 
Department, including therapy, for which the veteran is otherwise 
eligible.
    (g) Collection of Data.--In carrying out this section, the 
Secretary shall--
            (1) develop metrics and other appropriate means to measure, 
        with respect to veterans participating in the pilot program 
        under subsection (a)--
                    (A) the number of such veterans participating;
                    (B) the satisfaction of such veterans with the 
                pilot program;
                    (C) whether participation in the pilot program 
                resulted in any clinically relevant improvements for 
                such veterans, as determined by the health care 
                provider or clinical team that referred the veteran to 
                participate in the pilot program; and
                    (D) such other factors as the Secretary may 
                determine appropriate; and
            (2) establish processes to document and track the progress 
        of such veterans under the pilot program with respect to health 
        benefits and improvements.
    (h) Report by Secretary.--Not later than 1 year before the date on 
which the pilot program under subsection (a) terminates, the Secretary 
shall submit to the Committees on Veterans' Affairs of the House of 
Representatives and the Senate a report containing the recommendations 
of the Secretary regarding--
            (1) whether to extend or make permanent the pilot program; 
        and
            (2) the feasibility and advisability of expanding the pilot 
        program to address mental health conditions other than PTSD.
    (i) GAO Briefing and Study.--
            (1) Briefing.--Not later than 1 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 
        Committees on Veterans' Affairs of the House of Representatives 
        and the Senate a briefing on the methodology established for 
        the pilot program.
            (2) Report.--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. Such report shall include an 
        evaluation of the approach and methodology used for the pilot 
        program with respect to--
                    (A) assisting veterans with PTSD; and
                    (B) measuring relevant metrics, such as reduction 
                in scores under the Clinician Administered PTSD Scale 
                (CAPS), improvement in psychosocial function, and 
                therapeutic compliance.
    (j) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) The term ``accredited service dog training 
        organization'' means an organization described in section 
        501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 that--
                    (A) provides service dogs to veterans with PTSD; 
                and
                    (B) is accredited by 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 
                (as determined by the Secretary).
            (2) The term ``eligible veteran'' means a veteran who--
                    (A) is enrolled in the patient enrollment system in 
                the Department of Veterans Affairs under section 1705 
                of title 38, United States Code; and
                    (B) has been recommended for participation in the 
                pilot program under subsection (a) by a qualified 
                mental health care provider or clinical team based on 
                medical judgment that the veteran may benefit from such 
                participation with respect to the diagnosed PTSD of the 
                veteran.
            (3) The term ``service dog training instructor'' means an 
        instructor who provides the direct training of veterans with 
        PTSD in the art and science of service dog training and 
        handling.

SEC. 3. PROVISION OF SERVICE DOGS AND VETERINARY INSURANCE BENEFITS TO 
              VETERANS WITH POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER WHO DO NOT 
              HAVE CERTAIN IMPAIRMENTS.

    (a) In General.--Section 1714 of title 38, United States Code, is 
amended by adding at the end the following new subsections:
    ``(e) The Secretary may provide a service dog to a veteran under 
subsection (c)(3) regardless of whether the veteran has a mobility 
impairment.
    ``(f)(1) The Secretary shall provide to any veteran described in 
paragraph (2) a commercially available veterinary insurance policy for 
each dog provided to such veteran under subsection (b) or (c).
    ``(2) A veteran described in this paragraph is a veteran who--
            ``(A) is diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder or a 
        visual, hearing, or substantial mobility impairment;
            ``(B) has received a dog under subsection (b) or (c) in 
        connection with such disorder or impairment; and
            ``(C) meets such other requirements as the Secretary may 
        prescribe.''.
    (b) Applicability.--Section 1714(f) of title 38, United States 
Code, as added by subsection (a), shall apply with respect to a veteran 
provided a dog by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs on or after the 
date of the enactment of this Act.

            Passed the House of Representatives May 12, 2021.

            Attest:

                                                                 Clerk.
117th CONGRESS

  1st Session

                               H. R. 1448

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 AN ACT

   To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out a pilot 
 program on dog training therapy, and to amend title 38, United States 
Code, to authorize the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to provide service 
    dogs to veterans with mental illnesses who do not have mobility 
                              impairments.