PAWS Act of 2019
Latest action · Nov 21, 2019 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
Progress
Where this bill reached, and when. A stage with no date was not reached; one that failed a vote and later carried shows the date it carried.
- IntroducedNov 21, 2019
- Passed SenateNot reached
- Passed HouseNot reached
- To the PresidentNot reached
- Became lawNot reached
Summary
Puppies Assisting Wounded Servicemembers Act of 2019 or the PAWS Act of 2019
This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to implement a grant program for the purpose of pairing service dogs with eligible veterans. Organizations that receive grants shall provide veterinary health insurance coverage, hardware, and travel expenses for each service dog and veteran participating in the program.
Eligible veterans are those who (1) are enrolled in the VA health care system, (2) have been evaluated and treated for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) but remain diagnosed with PTSD, (3) may benefit from a service dog, and (4) agree to successfully complete training provided by an eligible organization. Veterans are required to see a VA health care provider at least once every 180 days to determine whether the veteran continues to benefit from a service dog.
Eligible organizations are nonprofit organizations that
- provide service dogs to veterans with PTSD,
- meet publicly available standards set forth by the Association of Service Dog Providers for Military Veterans,
- have expertise in the needs of veterans with PTSD,
- agree to cover all costs in excess of the grant amount to guarantee the benefits of the program,
- agree to reaccept or replace a service dog provided to a veteran, and
- submit an application to the VA.
Any improvement in PTSD symptoms as a result of the provision of a service dog shall not affect the veteran's eligibility for any other VA benefits.
The Government Accountability Office must report on the grant program.
Cosponsors 14
Members who signed on, in the order they did. Signatures ran from Nov 21, 2019 to Mar 2, 2020, with 8 there on the day it was introduced.
| Seat | Cosponsor | Signed on | |
|---|---|---|---|
| D-NJ | Cory A. Booker | Original | Nov 21, 2019 |
| D-MA | Elizabeth Warren | Original | Nov 21, 2019 |
| R-TX | John Cornyn | Original | Nov 21, 2019 |
| R-FL | Marco Rubio | Original | Nov 21, 2019 |
| R-AZ | Martha McSally | Original | Nov 21, 2019 |
| D-NJ | Robert Menendez | Original | Nov 21, 2019 |
| D-OH | Sherrod Brown | Original | Nov 21, 2019 |
| R-NC | Thom Tillis | Original | Nov 21, 2019 |
| R-FL | Rick Scott | Dec 4, 2019 | |
| D-CA | Dianne Feinstein | Dec 12, 2019 | |
| R-LA | John Kennedy | Dec 17, 2019 | |
| D-NV | Jacky Rosen | Jan 15, 2020 | |
| D-NV | Catherine Cortez Masto | Feb 10, 2020 | |
| D-DE | Christopher A. Coons | Mar 2, 2020 |
Actions 2
Everything that happened, newest first.
- Nov 21, 2019Introduced in Senate
- Nov 21, 2019Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
Related bills 1
Companion bills and other measures the record links to this one.
| Bill | Title | Relationship | Latest action |
|---|---|---|---|
| HR 3103 | PAWS Act of 2019 | Related bill | Jun 17, 2019 |
Subjects
Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security.
- Animal protection and human-animal relationships
- Armed Forces and National Security
- Congressional oversight
- Government studies and investigations
- Mammals
- Mental health
- Neurological disorders
- Service animals
- Social work, volunteer service, charitable organizations
- Veterans' education, employment, rehabilitation
- Veterans' medical care
Text 1
Each version as it was printed, newest first.
- Nov 21, 2019Introduced in Senate
Everything here is as published by Congress: the summary is the Congressional Research Service's, the action wording is the clerks', and the subjects are the Library of Congress's. How far it got is read from the actions themselves, taking the most recent one of each kind, so a bill that failed a vote and later passed is shown as having passed. Records come from this bill on Congress.gov and govinfo.gov.