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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
05.13.2021
Contact: Bill McCabe
legislativeinfo@trea.org
1.800.554.8732
TREA Secures Successful Passage of the PAWS Act in the U.S. House
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WASHINGTON: The Enlisted Association, representing servicemembers, veterans, retirees, and their families, has successfully secured passage of H.R. 1448, the Puppies Assisting Wounded Service Members for Veterans Therapy Act through the U.S. House of Representatives. Earlier today, TREA joined Members of Congress, veterans advocates, and representatives from the service dog industry at a press conference on Capitol Hill to celebrate a victory nearly a decade in the making.
This important 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 such as PTSD, regardless of whether they have a mobility impairment. The bill's comes on the heels of a recent VA study that showed warriors paired with a service dog had a 34.5% decrease in PCL-5 (PTSD Symptoms) from baseline to study completion.
"Veterans suffering from invisible wounds of war are now one step closer to
being afforded the opportunity to seek this unique and scientifically proven treatment through VA" said Justin Jump, National President of The Enlisted Association. "TREA thanks Congressman Stivers and Congresswoman Rice for their leadership on this bill, and to all of its cosponsors for their continued, bipartisan support. We now urge the Senate to consider and pass this important legislation without delay."
For a copy of the bill text, click HERE.
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