Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 123.djvu/2497

 123STA T . 2 47 7 PUBLIC LA W 111 –8 4 —O CT. 28 , 2 0 0 9SEC.107 7. D E PARTM E N T OFV ETERANS AFFA I RS U SE OF SERVICE DO G SFORT H E TREATMENT OR REHA B I L ITATION OF VET - ERANS W ITH PH Y SICAL OR MENTAL IN J URIES OR DISABILITIES. (a)PROG R AMREQUI RE D.—Notl at er t h a n270d a ys a f ter the date of the ena c t m ent of th i s A ct , the S ecretary of V eterans Affairs shall commence a three - year st u dy to assess the b enefits, feasibility, and ad v isability of usin g service dogs for the treatment or rehabilitation of veterans w ith p hysical or mental in j uries or disabil- ities, including post-traumatic stress disorder. (b) PAR TN ER SH I P S.— ( 1 ) I N GENERA L .— T he Secretary shall carry out the study by partnering with nonprofit 5 01(c)( 3 ) organi z ations that— (A) would not charge veterans who participate in the study fees for the dogs, services, or lodging that they pro- vide and ( B ) are accredited by, or adhere to standards com- parable to those of, an accrediting organization with dem- onstrated e x perience, national scope, and recognized leader- ship and expertise in the training of service dogs and education in the use of service dogs. (2) REIM B URSEMENT O FC OSTS.—The Secretary shall reimburse partners $ 10,000 for each dog provided to a veteran who enrolls in the study and successfully completes a training program offered by one of the partners. (c) PARTICIPATION.— (1) IN GENERAL.—As part of the study, the Secretary shall, subject to paragraph (2), arrange for the provision of a service dog to the greater of the following (A) 200 veterans. (B) A sufficient number of such veterans to produce scientifically valid results with respect to assessing the benefits and costs of the use of such dogs for the treatment or rehabilitation of such veterans. (2) NUMBER OF V ETERANS.—The D epartment of Veterans Affairs may provide dogs to fewer than 200 veterans if, despite its sustained and repeated efforts, it is unable to recruit 200 veterans to participate in the study referred to in subsection (d). (3) E LIGIBLE VETERANS.—A veteran is eligible to enroll and participate in the study on an ongoing basis if: (A) The veteran has physical disabilities (other than blindness or hearing impairment) or mental injuries or disabilities. (B) A Department of Veterans Affairs provider deter- mines, based on clinical evaluation of efficacy, that the veteran is an appropriate candidate for the study and may potentially benefit from a service dog. ( C ) The veteran agrees to successfully complete a training program arranged by the Department of Veterans Affairs and offered by a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that is accredited by, or adheres to standards comparable to those of, an accrediting organization with demonstrated experience, national scope, and recognized leadership and expertise in the training of service dogs and education in the use of service dogs. Deadlin e .Stu d y .