Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 264.
The bill directs the Department of Veterans Affairs to create a competitive pilot grant program awarding nonprofit organizations up to $2,000,000 each to provide trained service dogs to eligible veterans. It authorizes $10 million per year for fiscal years 2027–2031, sets applicant and reporting requirements, allows VA-provided veterinary insurance for awarded service dogs, and requires nonprofits to charge no fee to veterans.
Scale and duration of federal funding versus pilot limitations
Relative to its intended legislative type, this bill establishes a concrete statutory authorization and framework for a VA pilot grant program to provide service dogs to eligible veterans, supplying key elements (eligible applicants, application content, grant limits, permissible uses, definitions, oversight authority, appropriations authorization, and a termination date).
The bill directs the Department of Veterans Affairs to create a competitive pilot grant program awarding nonprofit organizations up to $2,000,000 each to provide trained service dogs to eligible veterans.
It authorizes $10 million per year for fiscal years 2027–2031, sets applicant and reporting requirements, allows VA-provided veterinary insurance for awarded service dogs, and requires nonprofits to charge no fee to veterans.
The pilot authority terminates September 30, 2031, and the bill also amends a separate Veterans Code pension payment date to February 28, 2033.
Modest-cost, targeted veterans program with bipartisan framing increases chances; final outcome depends on appropriations and floor procedures.
Relative to its intended legislative type, this bill establishes a concrete statutory authorization and framework for a VA pilot grant program to provide service dogs to eligible veterans, supplying key elements (eligible applicants, application content, grant limits, permissible uses, definitions, oversight authority, appropriations authorization, and a termination date).
Scale and duration of federal funding versus pilot limitations
These are examples from the analysis, not a ranked list of the most-affected groups.
Scale and duration of federal funding versus pilot limitations
Generally favorable.
Sees the bill as a targeted federal intervention to expand access to therapeutic services for veterans, including mental-health conditions like PTSD.
Views the no-fee requirement and veterinary insurance as important supports.
Cautiously supportive as a time-limited pilot that tests whether grants to nonprofits increase veterans' access to service dogs.
Values the built-in oversight, reporting, and competitive selection but wants clear outcome measures and cost controls.
Likely to back the bill if evaluation plans and fiscal accountability are strengthened.
Mixed to skeptical.
Supports veteran assistance in principle but is wary of expanding federal programs and long-term fiscal commitments.
Concerned about duplicating private charity work and creating continuing obligations like veterinary insurance, especially beyond the pilot’s end.
Reached or meaningfully advanced
Reached or meaningfully advanced
Still ahead
Still ahead
Still ahead
Modest-cost, targeted veterans program with bipartisan framing increases chances; final outcome depends on appropriations and floor procedures.
The bill has not accumulated any surfaced votes yet.
Scale and duration of federal funding versus pilot limitations
Modest-cost, targeted veterans program with bipartisan framing increases chances; final outcome depends on appropriations and floor procedu…
Relative to its intended legislative type, this bill establishes a concrete statutory authorization and framework for a VA pilot grant program to provide service dogs to eligible veterans, supplying key elements (eligib…
Go beyond the headline summary with full stakeholder mapping, legislative design analysis, passage barriers, and lens-by-lens tradeoff breakdowns.