The SAVES Act would create a Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) pilot program to award competitive grants to nonprofit organizations for providing service dogs to eligible veterans. Grants—each up to $2 million—would support training service dogs and related services, with the goal of increasing the number of veterans who receive service dogs. The program is funded at $10 million per year for fiscal years 2027–2031 and would terminate on September 30, 2031. Recipients must meet specified application requirements, sign agreements to communicate VA funding to veterans and to provide benefits information, and ensure that veterans are not charged fees for the service dog funded by the grant. The Act also allows VA to provide commercially available veterinary insurance for the service dogs and establishes oversight and reporting requirements. In addition, the bill extends a pension-related payment deadline from 2031 to 2033. The Act is titled the Service Dogs Assisting Veterans Act (SAVES Act).
Key Points
- 1Establishes a VA pilot program to award competitive grants to nonprofit entities to provide service dogs to eligible veterans, with the aim of expanding access.
- 2Grant specifics: up to $2,000,000 per recipient; funding is authorized at $10,000,000 for each fiscal year 2027–2031; grants awarded only after an agreement requiring certain conditions.
- 3Applicant and program requirements: applications must describe dog and veteran training plans, other supports, marketing plans to reach eligible veterans, and humane treatment standards; entities must show experience in training service dogs and compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
- 4Recipient obligations: notify veterans that the service dog is funded by VA, inform veterans of VA benefits and services, not charge fees to veterans for the dog, and comply with other terms set by the Secretary.
- 5Services and supports: funding may cover training for veterans and dogs, other support services, and a plan for publicizing availability; humane treatment standards must be maintained.
- 6Veterinary insurance: VA may provide a commercially available veterinary insurance policy for each service dog, with continuation independent of the pilot program unless the Secretary determines discontinuation is in the veteran’s or dog’s best interest.
- 7Oversight and accountability: VA will establish oversight, monitoring requirements, and reporting to ensure proper use of funds and to address issues.
- 8Definitions: “eligible veteran” = VA-enrolled or otherwise entitled to VA care, prescribed a service dog, and with one or more covered conditions (e.g., blindness, mobility impairment, hearing loss, PTSD, TBI, or other qualifying disability). A “service dog” is trained to assist someone with a disability.
- 9Term and funding timeline: the pilot program runs through 2031; the authority to run the program terminates on September 30, 2031.
- 10Pension-related provision: extends the deadline for certain payments related to veterans’ pensions from November 30, 2031 to February 28, 2033.