Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session

Massachusetts House Bill H3850 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	1 of 1
2	2	HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 383 FILED ON: 1/8/2025
3	3	HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 3850
4	4	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
5	5	_________________
6	6	PRESENTED BY:
7	7	Tara T. Hong
8	8	_________________
9	9	To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
10	10	Court assembled:
11	11	The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:
12	12	An Act establishing the Massachusetts veterans service dog program.
13	13	_______________
14	14	PETITION OF:
15	15	NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Tara T. Hong18th Middlesex1/8/2025Dennis C. Gallagher8th Plymouth1/14/2025Colleen M. Garry36th Middlesex3/9/2025Samantha Montaño15th Suffolk3/5/2025 1 of 3
16	16	HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 383 FILED ON: 1/8/2025
17	17	HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 3850
18	18	By Representative Hong of Lowell, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 3850) of Tara T.
19	19	Hong and others relative to establishing a veterans service dog program. Veterans and Federal
20	20	Affairs.
21	21	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
22	22	_______________
23	23	In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court
24	24	(2025-2026)
25	25	_______________
26	26	An Act establishing the Massachusetts veterans service dog program.
27	27	Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
28	28	of the same, as follows:
29	29	1 SECTION 1. Chapter 29 of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after
30	30	2section 2JJJJJJ, added by section 58 of chapter 140 of the acts of 2024, the following section:-
31	31	3 Section 2KKKKKK. (a) There shall be a separate fund on the books of the
32	32	4commonwealth to be known as the Massachusetts Veterans Service Dog Fund. The fund shall be
33	33	5credited with: (i) appropriations or other money authorized or transferred by the general court
34	34	6and specifically designated to be credited to the fund; (ii) funds from public and private sources,
35	35	7including, but not limited to, gifts, grants and donations; and (iii) any interest earned on the
36	36	8assets of the fund.
37	37	9 (b) Such monies shall be deposited to the credit of the fund and shall, in addition to any
38	38	10other monies made available for such purpose, be expended by executive office of veterans’
39	39	11services, without further appropriation, for the Massachusetts veterans service dog program
40	40	12established pursuant to section 19 of chapter 115. Amounts credited to the fund shall not be 2 of 3
41	41	13subject to further appropriation and money remaining in the fund at the end of a fiscal year shall
42	42	14not revert to the General Fund. The fund shall retain all interest earned on sums deposited in the
43	43	15fund.
44	44	16 SECTION 2. Chapter 115 of the General Laws is hereby amended by adding the
45	45	17following section:-
46	46	18 Section 19. (a) For the purpose of this section, the following terms shall, unless the
47	47	19context clearly requires otherwise, have the following meanings:
48	48	20 “Service dog”, a dog specifically trained to help persons with disabilities and perform
49	49	21specific tasks to assist a veteran with a disability, as defined under the Americans with
50	50	22Disabilities Act pursuant to 42 U.S.C. sections 12101 et seq.
51	51	23 “The office”, the executive office of veterans’ services.
52	52	24 “Veteran”, any person who has served in the United States Armed Forces and received an
53	53	25honorable discharge or general discharge under honorable conditions.
54	54	26 (b) The office shall establish and administer the Massachusetts veterans service dog
55	55	27program that shall:
56	56	28 (i) assess the needs of Massachusetts veterans for service dogs;
57	57	29 (ii) partner with a professional service dog organization accredited by Assistance Dogs
58	58	30International and headquartered in the commonwealth to procure and train service dogs;
59	59	31 (iii) match trained service dogs with eligible veterans based on their needs and work to
60	60	32provide those veterans eligible for a service dog within 1 year; and 3 of 3
61	61	33 (iv) provide resources and training for service dogs to enhance the transition for the
62	62	34veteran and service dog.
63	63	35 (c) Veterans that qualify for the Massachusetts veterans service dog program shall:
64	64	36 (i) be a resident of the commonwealth;
65	65	37 (ii) have a documented disability that may benefit from a service dog; and
66	66	38 (iii) obtain a recommendation from a licensed healthcare professional or mental health
67	67	39provider for a service dog.
68	68	40 (d) The office shall prepare an annual report that includes, but is not limited to: (i) details
69	69	41on the program’s implementation; (ii) the number of service dogs matched with veterans; and
70	70	42(iii) the impact service dogs have had on participating veterans. The office shall submit the
71	71	43annual report to the governor, the chairs of the joint committee on veterans and federal affairs
72	72	44and the offices of the house and senate clerk.
73	73	45 SECTION 3. Subsection (c) of section 139 chapter 140 of the General Laws, as appearing
74	74	46in the 2022 Official Edition, is hereby amended by adding the following sentence:- No fee shall
75	75	47be charged for a license issued under this section for a service dog pursuant to section 19 of
76	76	48chapter 115.
77	77	49 SECTION 4. This act shall take effect 1 year after its passage.