,,ii  #aad? ,,congress  #b;d ,session   
,s4 #cjea  ,,9 ,,! ,,s5ate ,,( ,,!      
,,unit$ ,,/ates  ,june #ac1 #bjaf ,mrs4 
,fis*] introduc$ ! foll[+ bill2 :i* 0   
read twice & ref]r$ to ! ,committee on  
,vet]ans' ,affairs  ,a ,,bill  ,to      
direct ! ,secret>y ( ,vet]ans ,affairs  
to c>ry out a pilot program to provide  
s]vice dogs to c]ta9 vet]ans ) sev]e    
po/-traumatic /ress disord]4  #a4 ,%ort 
title ,?is ,act may be cit$ z ! ,puppies
 ,assi/+ ,w\nd$ ,s]vicememb]s 7,,paws7  
,act ( #bjaf4  #b4 ,f9d+s ,congress     
makes ! foll[+ f9d+s3  7#a7 ,an e/imat$ 
#ad p]c5t ( memb]s ( ! ,arm$ ,=ces      
return+ f active duty s]vice 9 support (
 ,op]ation ,iraqi ,fre$om or ,op]ation  
,endur+ ,fre$om suff] f po/-traumatic   
/ress disord]4  7#b7 ,! result+         
hyp]/imulation ( ! fight-flight-freeze  
response associat$ ) po/-traumatic /ress
 disord] poses a ?reat to ! successful  
societal re9tegration ( su* memb]s ( !  
,arm$ ,=ces4  7#c7 ,animals su* z dogs c
 buff] ?is /ress response :5 humans fail

 to provide social support4  7#d7       
,int]action ) dogs has be5 %[n to       
modulate symptoms ( po/-traumatic /ress 
disord]1 su* z anxiety1 includ+ fe>     
response & hyp]>\sal1 int]p]sonal       
difficulties1 social isolation1 physical
 pa91 & sleep di/urbances4  #c4 ,pilot  
program on provision by ,dep>tm5t (     
,vet]ans ,affairs ( s]vice dogs to c]ta9
 vet]ans ) sev]e po/-traumatic /ress    
disord]  7a7 ,pilot program  7#a7 ,9    
g5]al ,! ,secret>y ( ,vet]ans ,affairs1 
act+ ?r\gh ! ,(fice ( ,pati5t ,c5t]$    
,c>e & ,cultural ,trans=mation ( !      
,dep>tm5t ( ,vet]ans ,affairs1 %all c>ry
 out a pilot program "u :i* ! ,secret>y 
provides s]vice dogs to eligible        
vet]ans4  7#b7 ,vet]9>y insurance ,!    
,secret>y %all furni% vet]9>y heal?     
insurance = ea* s]vice dog provid$ to an
 eligible vet]an "u ! pilot program4    
7b7 ,eligibility  7#a7 ,initial         
eligibility ,a vet]an is eligible = a   
s]vice dog "u ! pilot program if !      
vet]an-- 7,a7 is diagnos$ )             

po/-traumatic /ress disord] rat$ at a   
sev]ity level ( ?ree or f\r on !        
,cl9ician-,adm9i/]$ ,,ptsd ,scale =     
,,dsm-#e 7,,caps-#e72  7,b7 has complet$
 an e/abli%$ evid5ce-bas$ treatm5t =    
po/-traumatic /ress disord] & rema9s    
significantly symptomatic1 z evid5c$ by 
! ,global ,assessm5t ( ,function+ or a  
simil> cl9ical metric2  7,c7 has s]v$ on
 active duty 9 ! ,arm$ ,=ces on or aft] 
,septemb] #aa1 #bjja2 &  7,d7 has n     
exp]i5c$ satisfactory improvem5t 9      
po/-traumatic /ress disord] symptoms    
aft] be+ treat$ ) e/abli%$ evid5ce-bas$ 
!rapies4  7#b7 ,ongo+ eligibility =     
vet]9>y insurance ,to rema9 eligible to 
receive vet]9>y heal? insurance f !     
,dep>tm5t = a s]vice dog provid$ "u !   
pilot program1 a vet]an %all see a      
physician at a m$ical facility ( !      
,dep>tm5t :o is a prim>y c>e provid] or 
m5tal heal? c>e provid] n less frequ5tly
 ?an once e #ij days4  7c7 ,contract    
au?ority  7#a7 ,9 g5]al ,9 c>ry+ out !  
pilot program1 ! ,secret>y %all ent]    

into su* contracts z may be necess>y = !
 procurem5t & tra9+ ( s]vice dogs )     
appropriate provid]s t are c]tifi$ by   
,assi/ance ,dogs ,int]national or a     
simil> organization & t--  7,a7 on      
av]age1 provide "o-on-"o tra9+ = ea*    
s]vice dog = a m9imum ( #cj h\rs dur+ a 
p]iod ( n less ?an #ij days1 includ+ !  
provision ( a wellness v]ification f a  
lic5s$ vet]9>ian2  7,b7 provide an      
9-h\se resid5tial facility at :i*       
recipi5ts ( s]vice dogs /ay = a m9imum (
 t5 days & receive n less ?an #cj h\rs (
 tra9+ ) _! new s]vice dog2  7,c7 ensure
 all s]vice dogs tra9$ by ! provid] pass
 ! ,am]ican ,k5nel ,club ,can9e ,good   
,citiz5 te/ prior to p]man5t placem5t ) 
a recipi5t2 &  7,d7 provide foll[-up    
support s]vice = ! life ( ! s]vice dog4 
7#b7 ,limitation ,! ,secret>y may n     
obligate or exp5d m ?an #bg1jjj = !     
procurem5t & tra9+ ( any s]vice dog "u a
 contract ent]$ into "u ?is subsection4 
7d7 ,effect on o!r treatm5t ,! provision
 ( a s]vice dog "u ! pilot program %all 

be 9 addition to o!r types ( treatm5t   
provid$ = po/-traumatic /ress disord] & 
%all n replace e/abli%$ treatm5t        
modalities4  7e7 ,,gao /udy  7#a7 ,9    
g5]al ,n lat] ?an #ahj days aft] !      
t]m9ation ( ! pilot program "u ?is      
section1 ! ,comptroll] ,g5]al ( ! ,unit$
 ,/ates %all submit to ,congress a      
report on ! pilot program4  7#b7        
,elem5ts ,! report requir$ by p>agraph  
7#a7 %all include-- 7,a7 an evaluation (
 ! effectiv5ess ( ! pilot program )     
respect to--  7i7 help+ vet]ans ) sev]e 
po/-traumatic /ress disord] live        
normally2  7ii7 relevant metrics1       
includ+ r$uction 9 scores "u !          
po/-traumatic /ress disord] *eckli/     
7,,pcl71 improvem5t 9 psy*osocial       
function1 & !rapeutic compliance2  7iii7
 less5+ ! symptoms ( po/-traumatic /ress
 disord]2 &  7iv7 r$uc+ ! dep5d5ce (    
p>ticipants "u ! pilot program on       
prescription n>cotics & psy*otropic     
m$ication2 &  7,b7 ! recomm5dations ( ! 
,comptroll] ,g5]al ) respect to !       

cont9uation or expansion ( ! pilot      
program4  7f7 ,au?orization (           
appropriations ,!re is au?oriz$ to be   
appropriat$ = ea* ( fiscal ye>s #bjag   
?r\gh #bjbb #aj1jjj1jjj to c>ry out !   
pilot program "u ?is section4  7g7      
,(fset ,! am\nts o!rwise au?oriz$ to be 
appropriat$ = ! ,(fice ( ,human         
,res\rces & ,adm9i/ration ( ! ,dep>tm5t 
( ,vet]ans ,affairs = ea* ( fiscal ye>s 
#bjag ?r\gh #bjbb %all be r$uc$ by      
#aj1jjj1jjj4  7h7 ,t]m9ation ,! au?ority
 to c>ry out ! pilot program "u ?is     
section %all t]m9ate on ! date t is five
 ye>s aft] ! date ( ! enactm5t ( ?is    
,act4