#aafth ,,congress  #b;d ,session  ,h4   
,r4 #dcje  ,,an ,,act  ,to direct the   
,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs to     
carry out a pilot program on dog        
training therapy4  #a4 ,short title     
,this ,act may be cited as the ,puppies 
,assisting ,wounded ,servicemembers for 
,veterans ,therapy ,act or the ,,paws   
for ,veterans ,therapy ,act4  #b4       
,findings ,congress makes the following 
findings3  7#a7 ,according to the       
analyses of veteran suicide published by
 the ,department of ,veterans ,affairs  
in ,august #bjaf and titled ,suicide    
,among ,veterans and ,other ,americans1 
and in ,june #bjah1 titled ,,va         
,national ,suicide ,date ,report-- 7,a7 
an average of #bj veterans died by      
suicide each day in #bjad2  7,b7 mental 
health disorders1 including major       
depression and other mood disorders1    
have been associated with increased risk
 for suicide2  7,c7 since #bjja1 the    
proportion of users of the ,veterans    
,health ,administration with mental     

health conditions or substance use      
disorders has increased from            
approximately #bg percent in #bjja to   
more than #dj percent in #bjad2 and     
7,d7 overall1 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 diagnosis but  
were not at risk enough to require      
enhanced care from a mental health      
provider4  7#b7 ,the ,department of     
,veterans ,affairs must be more         
effective in its approach to reducing   
the burden of veteran suicide connected 
to mental health disorders1 including   
post-traumatic stress disorder 7in this 
section referred to as ,,ptsd71 and new1
 rigorous scientific research provides  
persuasive weight to the growing        
anecdotal evidence that service dogs    
ameliorate the symptoms associated with 
,,ptsd1 and in particular1 help prevent 
veteran suicide4  7#c7 ,several         
organizations have proven track records 

of training service dogs for veterans   
with severe ,,ptsd and dramatically     
improving those veterans' quality of    
life1 ability to re-enter society1 and1 
most importantly1 their chances of      
survival4  #c4 ,department of ,veterans 
,affairs pilot program on dog training  
therapy  7a7 ,in general ,commencing not
 later than #abj days after the date of 
the enactment of the ,act1 subject to   
the availability of appropriations1 the 
,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs shall  
carry out a pilot program under which   
the ,secretary shall make grants to one 
or more appropriate non-government      
entities for the purpose of assessing   
the effectiveness of addressing         
post-deployment mental health and       
post-traumatic stress disorder 7in this 
section referred to as ,,ptsd7 symptoms 
through a therapeutic medium of training
 service dogs for veterans with         
disabilities4  7b7 ,duration of pilot   
program ,the pilot program required by  
subsection 7a7 shall be carried out     

during the #e-year period beginning on  
the date of the commencement of the     
pilot program4  7c7 ,conditions on      
receipt of grants ,as a condition of    
receiving a grant under this section1 a 
non-government entity shall--  7#a7     
submit to the ,secretary certification  
that the entity is an organization      
described in section #eja7;c77#c7 of the
 ,internal ,revenue ,code of #aihf      
that-- 7,a7 provides service dogs to    
veterans with ,,ptsd2 and  7,b7 is      
accredited by1 or adheres to standards  
comparable to those of1 an accrediting  
organization with demonstrated          
experience1 national scope1 and         
recognized leadership and expertise in  
the training of service dogs and        
education in the use of service dogs2   
7#b7 agree to cover all costs in excess 
of the grant amount2  7#c7 agree to     
reaccept or replace the service dog the 
organization provided to the veteran1 if
 necessary1 as determined by the        
organization and the veteran2  7#d7     

provide a wellness certification from a 
licensed veterinarian for any dog       
participating in the program2  7#e7     
employ at least one person with clinical
 experience related to mental health2   
7#f7 ensure that veterans participating 
in the pilot program receive training   
from certified service dog training     
instructors for a period of time        
determined appropriate by the           
organization and the ,secretary1        
including service skills to address or  
alleviate symptoms unique to veterans'  
needs2  7#g7 agree to provide both      
lectures on service dog training        
methodologies and practical hands-on    
training and grooming of service dogs2  
7#h7 agree that in hiring service dog   
training instructors to carry out       
training under the pilot program1 the   
non-government entity will give a       
preference to veterans who have         
successfully graduated from ,,ptsd or   
other residential treatment program and 
who have received adequate certification

 in service dog training2  7#i7 agree   
not to use shock collars or prong       
collars as training tools and to use    
positive reinforcement training2  7#aj7 
agree that upon the conclusion of       
training provided using the grant       
funds--  7,a7 the veteran who received  
the training will keep the dog unless   
the veteran and the veteran's health    
provider decide it is not in the best   
interest of the veteran2  7,b7 if the   
veteran does not opt to own the dog1 the
 entity will be responsible for caring  
for and appropriately placing the dog2  
7,c7 the ,department of ,veterans       
,affairs will have no additional        
responsibility to provide for any       
benefits under this section2 and  7,d7  
the ,department of ,veterans ,affairs   
will have no liability with respect to  
the dog2  7#aa7 provide follow-up       
support service for the life of the dog1
 including a contact plan between the   
veteran and the entity to allow the     
veteran to reach out for and receive    

adequate help with the service dog and  
the organization to communicate with the
 veteran to ensure the service dog is   
being properly cared for2 and  7#ab7    
submit to the ,secretary an application 
containing such information1            
certification1 and assurances as the    
,secretary may require4  7d7 ,veteran   
eligibility  7#a7 ,in general ,for the  
purposes of this section1 an eligible   
veteran is a veteran who-- 7,a7 is      
enrolled in the patient enrollment      
system in the ,department of ,veterans  
,affairs under section #agje of title   
#ch1 ,united ,states ,code2  7,b7 has   
been recommended for the pilot program  
under this section by a qualified health
 care provider or clinical team based on
 the medical judgment that the veteran  
may potentially benefit from            
participating2 and  7,c7 agrees to      
successfully complete training provided 
by an eligible organization that        
receives a grant under this section4    
7#b7 ,relationship to participation in  

other program ,veterans may participate 
in the pilot program in conjunction with
 the compensated work therapy program of
 the ,department of ,veterans ,affairs4 
7#c7 ,continuing eligibility requirement
 ,to remain eligible to participate in  
the program1 a veteran shall see the    
health care provider or clinical team of
 the ,department of ,veterans ,affairs  
treating the veteran for ,,ptsd at least
 once every #f months to determine1     
based on a clinical evaluation of       
efficacy1 whether the veteran continues 
to benefit from the program4  7e7       
,collection of data ,in carrying out    
this section1 the ,secretary shall--    
7#a7 develop metrics and other          
appropriate means to measure1 with      
respect to veterans participation in the
 program1 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 veterans2  7#b7      

establish processes to document and     
track the progress of such veterans     
under the program in terms of the       
benefits and improvements noted as a    
result of the program2 and  7#c7 in     
addition1 the ,secretary shall continue 
to collect these data over the course of
 #e years for each veteran who has      
continued with the dog he or she has    
personally trained4  7f7 ,,gao briefing 
and study  7#a7 ,briefing ,not later    
than #a year after the date of the      
commencement of the pilot program under 
subsection 7a71 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 program4  7#b7 ,report ,not     
later than #bgj days after the date on  
which the program terminates1 the       
,comptroller ,general shall submit to   
the committees specified in paragraph   
7#a7 a report on the program4 ,such     

report shall include an evaluation of   
the approach and methodology used for   
the program with respect to--  7,a7     
helping veterans with severe ,,ptsd     
return to civilian life2  7,b7 relevant 
metrics1 including reduction in metrics 
such as reduction in scores under the   
,,ptsd check-list 7,,pcl-#e71           
improvement in psychosocial function1   
and therapeutic compliance2 and  7,c7   
reducing the dependence of participants 
on prescription narcotics and           
psychotropic medication4  7g7           
,definition ,for the purposes of this   
section1 the term service dog training  
instructor means an instructor who      
provides the direct training of veterans
 with ,,ptsd and other post-deployment  
issues in the art and science of service
 dog training and handling4  ,passed the
 ,house of ,representatives ,february   
#e1 #bjbj4;,clerk4