[House Report 119-314]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
119th Congress } { Report
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
1st Session } { 119-314
======================================================================
PROVIDING EMOTIONAL ASSISTANCE WITH RELIEF AND
LOVE ACT
_______
September 30, 2025.--Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on
the State of the Union and ordered to be printed
_______
Mr. Garbarino, from the Committee on Homeland Security, submitted the
following
R E P O R T
[To accompany H.R. 3965]
[Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]
The Committee on Homeland Security, to whom was referred
the bill (H.R. 3965) to establish in U.S. Customs and Border
Protection a pilot program to adopt dogs from local animal
shelters to be trained as support dogs, and for other purposes,
having considered the same, reports favorably thereon without
amendment and recommends that the bill do pass.
CONTENTS
Page
Purpose and Summary.............................................. 1
Background and Need for Legislation.............................. 2
Hearings......................................................... 2
Committee Consideration.......................................... 3
Committee Votes.................................................. 3
Committee Oversight Findings..................................... 3
C.B.O. Estimate, New Budget Authority, Entitlement Authority, and
Tax Expenditures............................................... 3
Federal Mandates Statement....................................... 4
Duplicative Federal Programs..................................... 4
Statement of General Performance Goals and Objectives............ 4
Congressional Earmarks, Limited Tax Benefits, and Limited Tariff
Benefits....................................................... 4
Advisory Committee Statement..................................... 4
Applicability to Legislative Branch.............................. 4
Section-by-Section Analysis of the Legislation................... 4
PURPOSE AND SUMMARY
H.R. 3965, the ``Providing Emotional Assistance with Relief
and Love Act'' or ``PEARL Act,'' would establish a three-year
pilot program requiring U.S. Customs and Border Protection
(CBP) to adopt dogs from local animal shelters and subsequently
train them to serve as support therapy dogs for agents and
officers tirelessly defending our homeland. This legislation
seeks to bolster CBP's efforts to increase workforce morale
along our nation's frontlines by reducing stress, anxiety, and
depression in and out of the workplace.
BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR LEGISLATION
The men and women of U.S. Customs and Border Protection
face extraordinary stressors in the performance of their
mission to secure the Nation's borders. Over the past several
years, CBP and fellow Department of Homeland Security (DHS) law
enforcement agencies have experienced an unprecedented number
of personnel losses, including line-of-duty deaths, off-duty
fatalities, and suicides. These tragic outcomes underscore the
acute emotional and psychological toll borne by DHS's frontline
officers and agents.
To help address this crisis, CBP launched the Support
Canine Program in January 2023. This initiative provided
emotional support dogs to frontline personnel with the goal of
alleviating symptoms of stress, anxiety, and depression,
thereby promoting and enhancing workforce resilience. The first
such canine, a six-year-old yellow Labrador named Pearl, served
in the Laredo Sector and became a symbol of the program's
promise and effectiveness. Canine Pearl retired from active
service in April 2025.
The ``Providing Emotional Assistance with Relief and Love
(PEARL) Act'' builds on this success by institutionalizing and
expanding the Support Canine Program throughout CBP. In
addition to strengthening the mental health and morale of
frontline personnel, the legislation ensures that support dogs
are sourced from local animal shelters and adoption programs.
By adopting and training these dogs for service, the program
not only benefits the CBP workforce, but also strengthens
community partnerships, reduces the burden on shelters, and
provides rescued animals with a purposeful role in serving
those who safeguard the Nation.
The Committee believes this mutual benefit, to both the
well-being of frontline agents and the communities in which
they serve, underscores the value of the PEARL Act. By
investing in this program, Congress affirms its commitment to
safeguarding the homeland while fostering humane, community-
based solutions that improve the lives of frontline personnel
and their families.
HEARINGS
The Committee held the following hearing in the 119th
Congress that informed H.R. 3965:
On March 25, 2025, the Committee on Homeland Security,
Subcommittee on Border Security and Enforcement held a hearing
entitled ``Part 1: Consequences of Failure: How Biden's
Policies Fueled the Border Crisis'' and received testimony from
Ms. Lora Ries, Director, Border Security and Immigration
Center, The Heritage Foundation, who testified as a private
citizen; Mr. Ammon Blair, Senior Fellow, Secure and Sovereign
Texas Initiative, Texas Public Policy Foundation; Mr. Jon
Anfinsen, Executive Vice President, National Border Patrol
Council; and Mr. Aaron Reichlin-Melnick, Senior Fellow,
American Immigration Council.
COMMITTEE CONSIDERATION
The Committee met on June 25, 2025, a quorum being present,
to consider H.R. 3965 and ordered the measure to be favorably
reported to the House by voice vote.
COMMITTEE VOTES
Clause 3(b) of rule XIII requires the Committee to list the
recorded votes on the motion to report legislation and
amendments thereto.
No recorded votes were requested during consideration of
H.R. 3965.
COMMITTEE OVERSIGHT FINDINGS
In compliance with clause 3(c)(1) of rule XIII, the
Committee advises that the findings and recommendations of the
Committee, based on oversight activities under clause 2(b)(1)
of rule X, are incorporated in the descriptive portions of this
report.
CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE ESTIMATE, NEW BUDGET AUTHORITY, ENTITLEMENT
AUTHORITY, AND TAX EXPENDITURES
With respect to the requirements of clause 3(c)(2) of rule
XIII and section 308(a) of the Congressional Budget Act of
1974, and with respect to the requirements of clause 3(c)(3) of
rule XIII and section 402 of the Congressional Budget Act of
1974, the Committee adopts as its own the estimate of any new
budget authority, spending authority, credit authority, or an
increase or decrease in revenues or tax expenditures contained
in the cost estimate prepared by the Director of the
Congressional Budget Office.
H.R. 3965 would direct Customs and Border Protection (CBP)
to develop and implement a three-year pilot program to adopt
and train dogs from local animal shelters for the agency's
Support Canine Program. Under this program, CBP organizes
visits between its officers and emotional support dogs to
improve employees' mental health.
Using information from CBP and based on the costs of
similar programs, CBO estimates that implementing H.R. 3965
would cost $4 million over the 2025-2030 period, comprising $3
million for the salaries of the support canine handlers and $1
million for the procurement, training, and travel of the
therapy dogs. Any related spending would be subject to the
availability of appropriated funds.
The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Sean
Christensen. The estimate was reviewed by H. Samuel Papenfuss,
Deputy Director of Budget Analysis.
Phillip L. Swagel,
Director, Congressional Budget Office.
FEDERAL MANDATES STATEMENT
The Committee adopts as its own the estimate of Federal
mandates prepared by the Director of the Congressional Budget
Office pursuant to section 423 of the Unfunded Mandates Reform
Act of 1995.
DUPLICATIVE FEDERAL PROGRAMS
Pursuant to clause 3(c) of rule XIII, the Committee finds
that H.R. 3965 does not contain any provision that establishes
or reauthorizes a program known to be duplicative of another
Federal program.
STATEMENT OF GENERAL PERFORMANCE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
Pursuant to clause 3(c)(4) of rule XIII, the objective of
H.R. 3965 is to establish in U.S. Customs and Border Protection
a pilot program to adopt dogs from local animal shelters to be
trained as support dogs.
CONGRESSIONAL EARMARKS, LIMITED TAX BENEFITS, AND LIMITED TARIFF
BENEFITS
In compliance with rule XXI, this bill, as reported,
contains no congressional earmarks, limited tax benefits, or
limited tariff benefits as defined in clause 9(d), 9(e), or
9(f) of rule XXI.
ADVISORY COMMITTEE STATEMENT
No advisory committees within the meaning of section 5(b)
of the Federal Advisory Committee Act were created by this
legislation.
APPLICABILITY TO THE LEGISLATIVE BRANCH
The Committee finds that H.R. 3965 does not relate to the
terms and conditions of employment or access to public services
or accommodations within the meaning of section 102(b)(3) of
the Congressional Accountability Act.
SECTION-BY-SECTION ANALYSIS OF THE LEGISLATION
Section 1. Short title
This section states that the Act may be cited as the
``Providing Emotional Assistance with Relief and Love Act'' or
the ``PEARL Act.''
Section 2. CBP support dog pilot program
This section requires the Secretary of Homeland Security,
via the Commissioner of CBP, to institute within CBP a pilot
program designed to bolster CBP's Support Canine Program by
requiring the agency to adopt dogs from local animal shelters
and train them to serve as support dogs for frontline officers
and agents.
This section requires CBP to establish the pilot program
within 60 days of enactment and further establishes a sunset
provision in which the pilot program shall terminate three
years after establishment.
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