HR 2225
115th Congress
House
Armed Forces and National Security
Animal protection and human-animal relationships
Department of Veterans Affairs
Disability assistance
Executive agency funding and structure
Federal officials
Mammals
Mental health
Service animals
Veterans' medical care
Veterans Dog Training Therapy Act
Introduced: April 28, 2017
See on congress.gov
Everywhere this bill has been
4 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Sep 26, 2017
Subcommittee Hearings Held.
Apr 28, 2017
Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
Apr 28, 2017
Referred to the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
Apr 28, 2017
Introduced in House
Plain-English summary
Veterans Dog Training Therapy Act
This bill directs the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to carry out a five-year pilot program to assess the effectiveness of addressing veterans' post-deployment mental health and post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms through the therapeutic medium of training service dogs for veterans with disabilities.
The VA shall:
- seek to enter into contracts with non-government entities that are certified in the training and handling of service dogs and that are located in close proximity to at least three but not more than five VA medical centers,
- provide such entities access to a training area in a VA facility that would be appropriate for use in educating veterans with mental health conditions in service dog training and handling,
- administer the program through the Center for Compassionate Innovation of the Veterans Health Administration in collaboration with the Recreation Therapy Service under the direction of a certified recreational therapist, and
- establish a director of therapeutic service dog training.
Veterans may participate in the program in conjunction with the VA's compensated work therapy program.
What's happening now
Subcommittee Hearings Held.
Committees of jurisdiction
2