On Thursday, Representative Mike Garcia, R-Santa Clarita, announced the passage of the Puppies Assisting Wounded Servicemembers (PAWS) for Veterans Therapy Act through the House of Representatives.

The bipartisan legislation co-sponsored by Garcia and other lawmakers aims to create a pilot program within the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) that would give veterans of the U.S. army facing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other mental illnesses access to therapy dogs.

“I am proud to see Congress come together in a bipartisan manner to support our veterans,” Garcia said. “This bill would help veterans struggling with PTSD and other mental health issues by providing veterans greater access to therapy dogs.”

See Related: Garcia Co-Sponsors Service Dog Bill For Veterans With PTSD

In the five year pilot VA program the bill would create, veterans with disabilities or mental illnesses would learn how to train service dogs.

Each veteran would work with one particular dog and be given the chance to adopt the dog at the end of the program, according to Garcia.

If adopted, the dog would remain with the veteran and continue to provide therapy and assistance.

The VA would be required to assess the pilot program over the course of five years to measure its effectiveness in treating the mental illnesses, including PTSD, faced by veterans after deployment, according to the bill text.

“I will continue to work to ensure our veterans receive the services and support they earned,” Garcia said.

To read the PAWS Act in its entirety, click here.

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