[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2327 Introduced in House (IH)]
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115th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 2327
To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to make grants to eligible
organizations to provide service dogs to veterans with severe post-
traumatic stress disorder, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
May 3, 2017
Mr. DeSantis (for himself, Mr. Blumenauer, Mr. Butterfield, Mr. Byrne,
Mr. Donovan, Mr. Hensarling, Ms. Norton, Mr. Hurd, Mr. Jones, Mr. Joyce
of Ohio, Mr. LoBiondo, Mr. Lynch, Mr. Norcross, Ms. Pingree, Mr. Polis,
Mr. Thomas J. Rooney of Florida, Ms. Roybal-Allard, Mr. Ryan of Ohio,
Mr. Sablan, Ms. Sanchez, Mr. Sessions, Ms. Sinema, Ms. Stefanik, Ms.
Velazquez, Mrs. Wagner, Mr. Zeldin, Mr. Cohen, Mr. Jody B. Hice of
Georgia, Mr. Hastings, Mr. Knight, Mr. Austin Scott of Georgia, Mr.
Gallego, Ms. Shea-Porter, Mr. Barton, Mr. Franks of Arizona, Miss
Gonzalez-Colon of Puerto Rico, Mr. Sean Patrick Maloney of New York,
Mr. Raskin, Mr. Gene Green of Texas, Mr. Curbelo of Florida, Mrs.
Carolyn B. Maloney of New York, Mr. Pocan, Mr. Royce of California, Mr.
Pallone, Mr. Poe of Texas, Mr. Rutherford, Mr. O'Rourke, Ms. Kaptur,
Mr. Trott, Mr. Scott of Virginia, Ms. Titus, Mr. Brat, Mrs. Comstock,
and Mr. Walker) introduced the following bill; which was referred to
the Committee on Veterans' Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to make grants to eligible
organizations to provide service dogs to veterans with severe post-
traumatic stress disorder, 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 ``Puppies Assisting Wounded
Servicemembers Act of 2017'' or the ``PAWS Act of 2017''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress makes the following findings:
(1) According to the analysis of veteran suicide published
by the Department of Veterans Affairs in August 2016 and titled
``Suicide Among Veterans and Other Americans''--
(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 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 diagnoses 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, and a pilot program and study to
assess the benefits of pairing service dogs with veterans
suffering from mental health disorders would allow the
Department to better determine the efficacy of using service
dogs as a nontraditional therapy to ensure the well-being of
veterans.
(3) Pairing a service dog with a veteran costs
approximately $25,000, including with respect to training of
the service dog as well as training of the veteran with the
service dog.
SEC. 3. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS PILOT PROGRAM TO PROVIDE GRANTS
FOR THE PROVISION OF SERVICE DOGS TO CERTAIN VETERANS
WITH SEVERE POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER.
(a) Grants.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall carry out a
pilot program under which the Secretary provides a $25,000 grant to an
eligible organization for each veteran referred to that organization
for a service dog pairing.
(b) Benefits Provided.--
(1) In general.--An organization that receives a grant
under subsection (a) shall provide the following for each
service dog and veteran participating in the pilot program:
(A) Coverage of a commercially available veterinary
health insurance policy to maintain the health of the
dog and keep the dog functioning in the prescribed role
for the life of the dog.
(B) Hardware, or repairs or replacements for
hardware, that are clinically determined to be required
by the dog to perform the tasks necessary to assist the
veteran with the diagnosed disorder of the veteran.
(C) Payments for travel expenses for the veteran to
obtain the dog, calculated in the same manner as
similar travel expenses provided pursuant to section
111 of title 38, United States Code.
(2) Other travel expenses.--If a veteran is required to
replace a service dog provided pursuant to a grant under this
section, the Secretary shall pay for the travel expenses
described in paragraph (1)(C) required to obtain a new service
dog pursuant to subsection (c)(3), regardless of any other
benefits the veteran is receiving for the first service dog
under this section.
(c) Eligible Organizations.--To be eligible to receive a grant
under this section, an organization shall--
(1) be a nonprofit organization that provides trained
service dogs--
(A) that--
(i) is certified by Assistance Dogs
International;
(ii) on average, provides one-on-one
training for each service dog and recipient for
30 hours or more over 90 days or more;
(iii) provides a wellness verification from
a licensed veterinarian for each service dog;
(iv) provides an in-house residential
facility, or other accommodations nearby, in
which service dog recipients stay for a minimum
of 10 days while receiving at least 30 hours of
training with their new service dog;
(v) ensures all service dogs pass the
American Kennel Club Community Canine test and
the ADI Public Access Test prior to permanent
placement with a recipient; and
(vi) provides follow-up support service for
the life of the service dog, to include a
contact plan between the veteran and
organization to allow--
(I) the veteran to reach out for
and receive adequate help with the
service dog; and
(II) the organization to
communicate with the veteran to ensure
that the service dog is being properly
cared for; or
(B) that meets the Association of Service Dog
Providers for Military Veterans Service Dog Agency
Standards that cater to the unique needs of veterans
with post-traumatic stress disorder;
(2) agree to cover all costs in excess of the grant amount
to guarantee the benefits listed under subsection (b)(1);
(3) agree to reaccept or replace the service dog the
organization provided to the veteran, if necessary, as
determined by the organization and the veteran; and
(4) submit to the Secretary an application containing such
information, certification, and assurances as the Secretary may
require.
(d) Eligible Veterans.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall
review and approve veterans eligible to participate under this
section and shall refer approved veterans to eligible
organizations. The period beginning on the date on which a
veteran applies to participate under this section and the date
on which the Secretary makes an approval determination may not
exceed 90 days.
(2) Initial eligibility.--For purposes of this section, an
eligible veteran is a veteran who is enrolled in the patient
enrollment system of the Department of Veterans Affairs under
section 1705 of title 38, United States Code, and--
(A) has been treated and has completed an
established evidence-based treatment for post-traumatic
stress disorder yet remains diagnosed with post-
traumatic stress disorder by a qualified health care
provider as rated on the post-traumatic stress disorder
checklist (PCL-5);
(B) the health care provider or clinical team of
the Department of Veterans Affairs that is treating the
veteran for such disorder determines based upon medical
judgment that the veteran may potentially benefit from
a service dog; and
(C) agrees to successfully complete training
provided by an eligible organization pursuant to
subsection (c).
(3) Ongoing eligibility.--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 such a disorder at least every six
months to determine, based on a clinical evaluation of
efficacy, whether the veteran continues to benefit from a
service dog.
(4) Other cases.--If at any point, the veteran is no longer
able or willing to care for the service dog, the organization
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) Relationship to Department of Veterans Affairs Benefits.--The
provision of a service dog to a veteran under this section is in
addition to any other hospital care or medical service furnished by the
Department for that veteran for post-traumatic stress disorder, and an
improvement in symptoms as a result of the provision of a service dog
shall not affect the eligibility of the veteran for any other benefit
under the laws administered by the Secretary.
(f) Metrics.--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,
the improvement in psychosocial function and therapeutic
compliance of such veterans and changes with respect to the
dependence on prescription narcotics and psychotropic
medication of such veterans; and
(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.
(g) GAO Briefing and Study.--
(1) Briefing.--Not later than one year after the date on
which the Secretary commences 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) helping veterans with severe post-traumatic
stress disorder return to civilian life;
(B) relevant metrics, including reduction in
metrics such as reduction in scores under the post-
traumatic stress disorder checklist (PCL-5),
improvement in psychosocial function, and therapeutic
compliance; and
(C) reducing the dependence of participants on
prescription narcotics and psychotropic medication.
(h) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be
appropriated for the period of fiscal year 2018 through fiscal year
2023, $10,000,000 to carry out the pilot program under this section.
(i) Offset.--The amounts otherwise authorized to be appropriated
for Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Human Resources and
Administration for the period of fiscal year 2018 through fiscal year
2023 shall be reduced by $10,000,000.
(j) Termination.--The authority to carry out a pilot program under
this section shall terminate on the date that is five years after the
date of the enactment of this Act. An eligible veteran in possession of
a service dog furnished under the pilot program as of the termination
of the pilot program may keep the service dog after the termination of
the program for the life of the dog.
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