88R7533 EAS-F
By: Buckley H.B. No. 2951
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the establishment of a service dog pilot program for
certain veterans.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 434, Government Code, is
amended by adding Section 434.029 to read as follows:
Sec. 434.029. SERVICE DOG PILOT PROGRAM FOR CERTAIN
VETERANS. (a) In this section:
(1) "Commission" means the Texas Veterans Commission.
(2) "Pilot program" means the pilot program
established under this section.
(3) "Veteran" means an individual who has served in:
(A) an active or reserve component of the army,
navy, air force, coast guard, or marine corps of the United States;
or
(B) the Texas National Guard, as defined by
Section 431.001.
(b) The commission by rule shall establish a pilot program
for veterans to assist in mitigating the symptoms of military
service-related post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain
injury, or military sexual trauma through the provision of a
service dog.
(c) The commission shall issue a request for proposals from
nonprofit corporations to provide trained service dogs and training
and services to veterans who participate in the pilot program.
(d) The commission shall approve one or more nonprofit
corporations to provide services through the pilot program. The
commission may not approve a nonprofit corporation unless the
corporation:
(1) has demonstrated experience working with veterans
who have experienced post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic
brain injury, and military sexual trauma;
(2) is authorized to conduct business in this state;
(3) is able to serve all veterans participating in the
pilot program, including by providing necessary transportation for
a veteran to receive pilot program services;
(4) is part of a referral network dedicated to
providing wraparound veteran support services, including
counseling, caregiver and family support services, and legal aid;
and
(5) adheres to the standards of the Association of
Service Dog Providers for Military Veterans.
(e) A nonprofit corporation that is approved to provide
services under the pilot program shall:
(1) employ professional staff to train dogs to become
service dogs for veterans participating in the pilot program;
(2) provide each veteran participating in the pilot
program a fully trained service dog;
(3) cover the costs of travel, lodging, and meals for
each veteran participating in the pilot program when the veteran is
traveling for the program;
(4) provide peer-supported training to help pair each
veteran participating in the pilot program with a service dog;
(5) while a veteran is participating in the pilot
program, ensure that regular mental health and depression
assessments are conducted on the veteran in coordination with a
licensed clinical mental health provider;
(6) ensure that wraparound support services are
provided to each veteran participating in the pilot program, the
veteran's caregiver, and the veteran's family before, during, and
after the period when the veteran receives a service dog; and
(7) be able to provide a veteran participating in the
pilot program a new service dog if the veteran's service dog:
(A) is incompatible with the veteran, the
veteran's caregiver, or the veteran's family; or
(B) dies or is otherwise unable to fulfill the
dog's duty as a service dog.
(f) All goods and services provided to a veteran as part of
the pilot program, including a veteran's service dog, must be
provided at no cost to the veteran.
(g) A service dog provided by a nonprofit corporation as
part of the pilot program must:
(1) complete a training program accredited by the
Association of Service Dog Providers for Military Veterans or
Assistance Dogs International;
(2) comply with any requirements of the Americans with
Disabilities Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. Section 12101 et seq.); and
(3) be evaluated by a veterinarian to ensure the dog is
medically fit to serve as a service dog.
(h) The commission may accept gifts, grants, and donations
to fund the pilot program.
(i) Not later than October 1, 2026, the commission shall
prepare and submit a report evaluating the pilot program to the
governor, lieutenant governor, speaker of the house of
representatives, and appropriate standing committees of the
legislature. The report must include:
(1) recommendations for legislative or other action;
and
(2) an evaluation of the pilot program's
effectiveness, including a recommendation on whether the pilot
program should be continued, expanded, or terminated.
(j) The pilot program concludes and this section expires
September 1, 2027.
SECTION 2. The Texas Veterans Commission shall adopt rules
to administer the pilot program established under Section 434.029,
Government Code, as added by this Act, as soon as practicable after
the effective date of this Act.
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023.