,i  #aacth ,,congress  #b;d ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #eccc  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,july #ca1 #bjad ,mr4
 ,daines introduced the following bill2 
which was referred to the ,committee on 
,veterans' ,affairs  ,a ,,bill  ,to     
amend title #ch1 ,united ,states ,code1 
to ensure that a service animal of a    
patient receiving inpatient medical care
 at a medical facility of the           
,department of ,veterans ,affairs is    
able to access the room of the patient4 
#a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited
 as the ,expanding ,access for          
,veterans' ,service ,animals ,act4  #b4 
,access of service animals at medical   
facilities of ,department of ,veterans  
,affairs  7a7 ,sense of ,congress ,it is
 the sense of ,congress that--  7#a7    
certified therapeutic animals should be 
provided the same access to facilities  
of the ,department of ,veterans ,affairs
 as service animals2 and  7#b7 to ensure
 such access1 the ,secretary of         
,veterans ,affairs should create and    

implement a certification process for   
therapeutic animals that mitigate the   
effects of a medically diagnosed mental 
health condition4  7b7 ,access of       
service animals to medical facilities   
,section #ija7;f7 of title #ch1 ,united 
,states ,code1 is amended--  7#a7 by    
redesignating paragraph 7#b7 as         
paragraph 7#c72 and  7#b7 by inserting  
after paragraph 7#a7 the following new  
paragraph 7#b73  7#b7  7,a7 ,except as  
provided by subparagraph 7,b71 the      
,secretary may not prohibit a covered   
service dog1 or any other service animal
 that is allowed to access medical      
facilities of the ,department1 of a     
patient who is receiving inpatient care 
at a medical facility of the ,department
 from accessing the room of the patient1
 including with respect to staying      
overnight4  7,b7 ,in carrying out       
subparagraph 7,a71 the ,secretary may   
prescribe regulations to ensure the     
safety and health of employees of the   
,department1 patients1 and the public1  

including by requiring that a patient   
maintain responsibility for the covered 
service dog or service animal4  4