Skip to main content
HR 6170 116th Congress House

DOGS Act

Official title: To direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to carry out a pilot program to study the efficacy of dog-assisted therapy on vulnerable populations, and for other purposes.

Introduced: March 10, 2020 See on congress.gov
Health Animal and plant healthCongressional oversightDisability and paralysisGovernment information and archives
More subjectsShow fewer subjects
Health programs administration and fundingLong-term, rehabilitative, and terminal careService animalsVeterans' medical care
Sign in to write a letter Sign in to watch
This bill died when the 116th Congress ended
It never became law before the 116th Congress (2019–2020) adjourned, and bills don't carry over to the next Congress. It would have to be reintroduced. You can still save it for reference, but it won't receive updates.
 Everywhere this bill has been 2 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Mar 10, 2020
Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
Mar 10, 2020
Introduced in House
 Ask about this bill AI · grounded in the bill text

Have a question about what this bill does? Ask in plain English; the answer is drawn from the bill's actual text and official record, and it'll tell you when something isn't in the text rather than guess.

AI answers can be imperfect; always confirm against the full bill text.

 Latest action March 10, 2020

Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.

 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Dogs Offering Gentle Support Act or the DOGS Act

This bill establishes a pilot grant program in the Department of Health and Human Services for eligible nonprofits to conduct routine dog-assisted therapy in various community settings and populations. The Government Accountability Office must report on the impact of the program.

 Bill text 1 version

Source documents hosted by congress.gov.

 Committees of jurisdiction 1
Cite this page click to expand
APA
U.S. Congress. (2026). H.R. 6170: DOGS Act. 116th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/116-HR-6170/
MLA
"H.R. 6170: DOGS Act." 116th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/116-HR-6170/.
Bluebook (legal)
H.R. 6170, 116th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/116-HR-6170/.
Markdown link
[H.R. 6170: DOGS Act](https://openamerica.io/bill/116-HR-6170/)
Report a problem