The Mid-Atlantic Regional Group
Blinded Veterans Association
Legislative News
December 16, 2009
For all BVA contacts and advocates, this news came from senate today on the issue of providing Service Dogs for disabled veterans. BVA has closely followed the issue since legislation was introduced last summer to have the VA provide funding to service animal training programs for disabled veterans. While most BVA members are very familiar with the Guide Dog programs for blinded veterans, these bills were generated because of the high demand for other kinds of “Service Dog’s for disabled veterans” with wide variety of both medical and psychological problems.
NEWS RELEASE
Washington, D.C. –
By a vote of 57-35, the Senate yesterday gave its final approval to the FY2010
Omnibus Appropriations Act, funding a key priority of Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.),
which is providing service dogs to veterans with disabilities.
“We can never do too much for the men and women who risk everything to fight for
their country,” said Sen. Franken. “I feel a real obligation to them for the
courage they show and the sacrifices they make. I’m glad that we’ve been able to
take this small step toward improving their lives when they come home.”
The Appropriations Act directs the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to
immediately begin the process of assisting veterans with physical and, for the
first time, mental illnesses, including Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD),
who would benefit from having a service dog. It also provides $2 million in
medical services for the program and additional funds for research and VA
Inspector General oversight. VA is also directed to expand its partnership with
accredited nonprofit service dog organizations where veterans with PTSD help
train service dogs.
“With the support of Sen. Tim Johnson (Chairman of the Military Construction/VA
appropriations subcommittee), and his House counterpart Rep. Chet Edwards, the
final version of the provision directs VA to include veterans with mental
disabilities among those eligible to receive a service dog,” said Sen. Franken.
“I am also grateful to Rep. Steve Israel, who carried this effort in the House.”
“I applaud Senator Franken for his efforts to expand VA’s service dog program.
These dogs have proven to not only expand our veterans’ ability to live more
fully, they also seem to have the ability to increase veterans’ morale and
quality of life as well. I was happy to include this funding in the FY10 VA
Appropriations bill,” said Sen. Tim Johnson (D-S.Dak.), chairman of the Military
Construction/Veterans Affairs (VA) Appropriations Subcommittee.
“Our veterans put their lives on the line and too often return home with
physical injuries and PTSD. An expanded service dogs program for veterans will
bring more of our troops the comfort and rehabilitation they need. Veterans
have told me they benefit greatly from having access to service dogs, so I’m
proud to join Senator Franken in increasing the scope of the service dogs for
veterans program,” said Rep. Steve Israel (D – N.Y.), a member of the House
Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Construction and Veterans Affairs who
requested increased funding for the program.
The Service Dogs for Veterans Act was the first piece of legislation authored by
Sen. Franken, with original co-sponsor Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.). It passed
the Senate unanimously two weeks after he was sworn in as Minnesota’s second
Senator. Sen. Franken visited the White House to see it signed in to law last
month. Sunday’s approval of funding was the next step in making the provision of
service dogs to veterans with disabilities a reality.
BVA will monitor this as it develops because of some concerns over the issue of some service dog programs may not provide well trained dogs if they do not have accreditation standards or state laws to cover that issue of meeting certain standards to be considered trained service dogs.
Tom Zampieri
Blinded Veterans Association
BVA's Legislative Alerts Group
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