S. 2949: PAWS Act of 2019
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S. 2949: PAWS Act of 2019
116th Congress · introduced 2019-11-21 · Armed Forces and National Security · Latest: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
federal
Follow this bill, step by step
- Where it came from: introduced 2019-11-21 · official record
- Who proposed it: Sen. Fischer, Deb [R-NE] · what a sponsor is
- What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
- Where it stands now: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
- If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.
Official title
PAWS Act of 2019
Plain summary
Puppies Assisting Wounded Servicemembers Act of 2019 or the PAWS Act of 2019 This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to implement a grant program for the purpose of pairing service dogs with eligible veterans. Organizations that receive grants shall provide veterinary health insurance coverage, hardware, and travel expenses for each service dog and veteran participating in the program. Eligible veterans are those who (1) are enrolled in the VA health care system, (2) have been evaluated and treated for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) but remain diagnosed with PTSD, (3) may benefit from a service dog, and (4) agree to successfully complete training provided by an eligible organization. Veterans are required to see a VA health care provider at least once every 180 days to determine whether the veteran continues to benefit from a service dog. Eligible organizations are nonprofit organizations that provide service dogs to veterans with PTSD, meet publicly available standards set forth by the Association of Service Dog Providers for Military Veterans, have expertise in the needs of veterans with PTSD, agree to cover all costs in excess of the grant amount to guarantee the benefits of the program, agree to reaccept or replace a service dog provided to a veteran, and submit an application to the VA. Any improvement in PTSD symptoms as a result of the provision of a service dog shall not affect the veteran's eligibility for any other VA benefits. The Government Accountability Office must report on the grant program.
Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.
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How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes
Officials and money
Sponsor: Sen. Fischer, Deb [R-NE] · 14 cosponsors
Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.
Cosponsors on this site
Cory A. Booker (D-NJ), Thom Tillis (R-NC), John Cornyn (R-TX), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Rick Scott (R-FL), John Kennedy (R-LA), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Christopher A. Coons (D-DE)
Sponsor's campaign money: Sen. Fischer, Deb [R-NE] reported raising $976,129 (2025–2026). Details. Shown for context only; it does not mean any donor supported this bill.
No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.
Words on this page, explained (1)
- Bill
- A proposed law. It becomes law only if it passes the legislature and is signed by the president or governor (or a veto is overridden).
Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.
Sources
- Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate)
- Congress.gov
- Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-116s2949.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/116/s>
Record fed-us-cong116-s2949 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong116 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong116