Recent legislation was introduced which would mandate that the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) first train and then provide service dogs to veterans in need. The proposed bill has garnered split opinions from veterans groups, however.
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service dogs would be provided to soldiers diagnosed with such mental conditions as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) to be used in conjunction with a therapy program. Rep. Michael Grimm (R-N.Y.), however, drafted a separate bill (HR 198), which would have the VA operate a pilot program for 5 years.
The pilot program would study how valuable the service dogs are to veterans with mental health problems. At the end of their service, the dogs would either remain with their handlers or assigned to other veterans in need. Rep. Grimm's reason for HR 198 was to establish a "controlled environment with proper oversight," which would provide the best way in which to study the effectiveness of the service dogs.
Grimm's bill is being opposed, however, by multiple veterans groups, to include the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) and the VA itself. Those groups are advocating for private groups working with the VA to ensure veterans in need are provided service dogs. Further, they took issue with the sheer amount of factors the bill seeks to address with a $10 million price tag.
Other groups, such as the Disabled American Veterans (DAV) and the Vietnam Veterans of America (VVA) had different positions. Some were simply neutral, and other took issue with certification standards connected to the program.
If you are a disabled veteran who has been denied disability compensation or have not yet applied for benefits from the VA, a South Florida disability attorney from LaVan & Neidenberg is ready to help. To learn if you are entitled to certain programs and benefits contact our veterans disability rights firm today - 1-888-234-5758.
Category: Veterans' Disability
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Soldiers can return home with a number of conditions, injuries, and aggravated preexisting conditions. If you believe you have a service-connected physical or psychological injury you may be entitled to Veterans’ Disability Compensation.