[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2067 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 2067

    To require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to award grants to 
 nonprofit organizations to assist such organizations in carrying out 
 programs to provide service dogs to eligible veterans, and for other 
                               purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             June 21, 2023

Mr. Tillis (for himself, Mr. Blumenthal, Mr. Cramer, and Mr. Heinrich) 
introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the 
                     Committee on Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
    To require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to award grants to 
 nonprofit organizations to assist such organizations in carrying out 
 programs to provide service dogs to eligible veterans, 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 ``Service Dogs Assisting Veterans 
Act'' or the ``SAVES Act''.

SEC. 2. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS PROGRAM TO AWARD GRANTS FOR THE 
              PROVISION OF SERVICE DOGS TO VETERANS.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall require 
the Under Secretary for Health of the Department of Veterans Affairs to 
establish a program under which the Secretary shall award grants, on a 
competitive basis, to nonprofit organizations to assist such 
organizations in carrying out programs to provide service dogs to 
eligible veterans.
    (b) Applications.--
            (1) In general.--To be eligible to receive a grant under 
        this section, a nonprofit organization shall submit an 
        application to the Secretary at such time, in such manner, and 
        containing such information as the Secretary may require.
            (2) Elements.--An application submitted under paragraph (1) 
        shall include the following:
                    (A) A proposal for the evaluation required by 
                subsection (d).
                    (B) A description of the following:
                            (i) The training that will be provided by 
                        the organization to eligible veterans.
                            (ii) The training of dogs that will serve 
                        as service dogs.
                            (iii) The aftercare services that the 
                        organization will provide for such dogs and 
                        eligible veterans.
                            (iv) The plan for publicizing the 
                        availability of such dogs through a marketing 
                        campaign that targets eligible veterans.
                            (v) The commitment of the organization to 
                        have humane standards for animals.
                    (C) A statement certifying that the organization is 
                accredited by Assistance Dogs International or another 
                similar widely recognized accreditation organization 
                that the Secretary determines has accreditation 
                standards that meet or exceed the standards of 
                Assistance Dogs International.
    (c) Use of Funds.--
            (1) In general.--The recipient of a grant under this 
        section shall use the grant amounts to plan, design, establish, 
        or operate (or any combination thereof) one or more programs 
        that provide service dogs to eligible veterans.
            (2) Equal access.--The Secretary shall require each 
        recipient of a grant under this section to provide equal access 
        to service dogs to eligible veterans who are women.
    (d) Evaluations.--The Secretary shall require each recipient of a 
grant under this section to conduct an evaluation of the effectiveness 
of the activities carried out through the grant by such recipient.
    (e) Maximum Amount.--The total amount of grants awarded to each 
nonprofit organization under this section may not exceed $2,000,000.
    (f) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Eligible veteran.--
                    (A) In general.--The term ``eligible veteran'' 
                means a veteran who--
                            (i) is enrolled in the system of annual 
                        patient enrollment of the Department of 
                        Veterans Affairs established and operated under 
                        section 1705(a) of title 38, United States 
                        Code; and
                            (ii) has one or more disabilities described 
                        in subparagraph (B).
                    (B) Disability described.--A disability described 
                in this subparagraph is any of the following:
                            (i) Blindness or visual impairment.
                            (ii) Loss of use of a limb, paralysis, or 
                        other significant mobility issue.
                            (iii) Loss of hearing.
                            (iv) Traumatic brain injury.
                            (v) Post-traumatic stress disorder.
                            (vi) Military sexual trauma.
                            (vii) Any other disability that the 
                        Secretary considers appropriate.
            (2) Service dog.--
                    (A) In general.--The term ``service dog'' means any 
                dog that is individually trained to do work or perform 
                tasks that are--
                            (i) for the benefit of an individual with a 
                        disability, including a physical or sensory 
                        disability or a psychiatric, intellectual, or 
                        other mental disability; and
                            (ii) directly related to the disability of 
                        the individual.
                    (B) Work and tasks.--The crime-deterrent effects of 
                the presence of a dog and the provision by a dog of 
                emotional support, well-being, comfort, or 
                companionship do not constitute work or tasks for the 
                purposes of subparagraph (A).
    (g) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this Act $10,000,000 for each of fiscal years 
2024 through 2028.
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