[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3712 Introduced in House (IH)]

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117th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 3712

  To direct the Secretary of Defense to establish a pilot program to 
 determine the effectiveness of using working dogs to detect the early 
              stages of diseases, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              June 4, 2021

   Mr. Lieu introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                      Committee on Armed Services

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To direct the Secretary of Defense to establish a pilot program to 
 determine the effectiveness of using working dogs to detect the early 
              stages of diseases, 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 ``COVID-19 Warrior Dogs Act''.

SEC. 2. PILOT PROGRAM ON USE OF WORKING DOGS TO DETECT EARLY STAGES OF 
              DISEASES.

    (a) Pilot Program.--Not later than 90 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall commence a pilot 
program to determine the effectiveness of using scent detection working 
dogs to detect the early stages of diseases (including the coronavirus 
disease 2019 (COVID-19)) and upon detection, to alert the handler of 
the dog. In carrying out such program, the Secretary shall consider--
            (1) potential uses for such dogs in screening individuals 
        seeking to access facilities under the jurisdiction of the 
        Department of Defense or seeking to access locations frequently 
        used by the public and relevant to public safety; and
            (2) any other potential uses for such dogs relating to the 
        detection of early stages of diseases, including uses relating 
        to the management and provision of personal protective 
        equipment and medical testing kits to Department of Defense 
        personnel.
    (b) Regulations.--The Secretary shall prescribe regulations 
concerning the scope and limitations of the pilot program under 
subsection (a). Such regulations shall include requirements to ensure 
that the pilot program is scientifically rigorous.
    (c) Duration.--The Secretary shall carry out the pilot program 
under subsection (a) for a period of not more than four years.
    (d) Report.--Not later than 180 days after the date on which the 
pilot program under subsection (a) terminates, the Secretary shall 
submit to the Committees on Armed Services of the House of 
Representatives and the Senate a report on the outcomes of such pilot 
program.
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