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S. 613: PAWS for Veterans Therapy Act

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S. 613: PAWS for Veterans Therapy Act

117th Congress · introduced 2021-03-05 · Armed Forces and National Security · Latest: Committee on Veterans' Affairs. Hearings held. Hearings printed: S.Hrg. 117-231.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

  1. Where it came from: introduced 2021-03-05 · official record
  2. Who proposed it: Sen. Tillis, Thomas [R-NC] · what a sponsor is
  3. What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
  4. Where it stands now: Committee on Veterans' Affairs. Hearings held. Hearings printed: S.Hrg. 117-231. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
  5. If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.

What does this mean?

Official title

PAWS for Veterans Therapy Act

Plain summary

Puppies Assisting Wounded Servicemembers for Veterans Therapy Act or the PAWS for Veterans Therapy Act This bill implements a program and a policy related to service dog therapy for veterans. Specifically, the 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, regardless of whether they have a mobility impairment.

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

What a vote does

A “Yea” vote

If it passes both chambers and is signed, it becomes law.

A “Nay” vote

If it is not passed, current law stays as it is.

PSI Sci description of the legislative step (not an opinion).

What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

PAWS for Veterans Therapy Act

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate)

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The strongest published arguments

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Alternatives

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How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes

Officials and money

Sponsor: Sen. Tillis, Thomas [R-NC] · 8 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Roger Marshall (R-KS), Margaret Wood Hassan (D-NH), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Raphael G. Warnock (D-GA)

Sponsor's campaign money: Sen. Tillis, Thomas [R-NC] reported raising $4.7 million (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

Record fed-us-cong117-s613 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong117 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong117