S. 613 · 117th Congress
PAWS for Veterans Therapy Act
- Stage
- In committee
- Sponsor
- Thom Tillis
- Introduced
- 2021-03-05
- Latest action
- 2021-06-23 · Committee on Veterans' Affairs. Hearings held. Hearings printed: S.Hrg. 117-231.
Summary
Puppies Assisting Wounded Servicemembers for Veterans Therapy Act or the PAWS for Veterans Therapy Act
This bill implements a program and a policy related to service dog therapy for veterans. Specifically, the bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to implement a five-year pilot program to assess the effectiveness of addressing post-deployment mental health and post-traumatic stress disorder through a method where veterans train service dogs for veterans with disabilities.
The bill also authorizes the VA to provide service dogs to veterans with mental illnesses, regardless of whether they have a mobility impairment.