Latest news with #SAVESAct
Yahoo
14-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Local non-profit K9s for Warriors helps craft bill to support veteran service dog programs
On Thursday, United States Senators reintroduced a bill that would help provide service dogs to veterans in need. The bipartisan Service Dogs Assisting Veterans (SAVES) Act, would establish a program through the Department of Veterans Affairs to award grants to non-profit organizations that provide that service. K9s for Warriors, a non-profit organization based out of Ponte Vedra Beach, said it worked with the senators to get the bill ready for consideration. Members of the organization, along with service dogs, joined them on Capitol Hill this month. 'Service dogs have a proven track record of providing life-saving assistance to Veterans in critical need,' said Bill McCabe, Vice President of Government & External Affairs, K9s For Warriors. 'The SAVES Act will ultimately put more service dogs in the hands of Veterans with visible and invisible disabilities, allowing them to regain their independence and reintegrate into civilian life. We applaud this bipartisan, bicameral effort and urge Congress to pass this important legislation without delay.' Thom Tillis (R-NC) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) are leading the charge within the Senate. 'Long after the fighting on the battlefield ends, too many of the courageous servicemembers come home and continue to battle against enemies that many consider just as insidious as those with guns, grenades, and rockets. That is why in 2021, I introduced the PAWS Act that created a pilot program to provide canine training to eligible veterans, but it is clear we must continue to build on that effort to ensure this program is expanded to veterans in need,' said Senator Tillis. The SAVES Act was introduced before in 2023, but did not become law. Below are the requirements organizations would have to meet to receive funding: 'Under the SAVES Act, nonprofit organizations would be required to submit an application to the Secretary that includes a description of the training that will be provided by the organization to eligible veterans; the training of dogs that will serve as service dogs; the aftercare services that the organization will provide for the service dogs and eligible Veteran; the plan for publicizing the availability of service dogs through a marketing campaign; the committee of the organization to have humane standards or animals. Nonprofit organizations would also need to certify that they are accredited by Assistance Dogs International or another widely recognized accreditation organization.' Read the full legislation: [SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter] Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live.
Yahoo
27-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Bipartisan bill would give eligible veterans free service dog
EXCLUSIVE: A bipartisan group of lawmakers is teaming up to ensure veterans in need can obtain a service dog at no cost. "For veterans struggling with PTSD, traumatic brain injuries, or mobility impairments, these service dogs are more than just companions. They provide independence, security and healing," Rep. Morgan Luttrell, R-Texas, one of the lawmakers leading the charge on the legislation, told Fox News Digital. "They are a critical tool in the fight against veteran suicide and mental health challenges." The legislation, dubbed the "Service Dogs Assisting Veterans Act," or "SAVES Act," would mandate that the secretary of Veterans Affairs award grants to nonprofits whose mission is to provide service dogs to veterans. Those grants would allow eligible veterans to be provided with a service dog at no charge to them. Va Sec Accuses Reporter Of Spreading Rumors About Doge Hurting Veterans Luttrell, a U.S. Navy veteran, believes the legislation is a critical step in preventing veteran suicide, an issue the Texas lawmaker has continued to stress as one of his most critical missions in Congress. "The SAVES Act is a straightforward, commonsense bill with a life-changing impact," Luttrell said. "This bipartisan legislation creates a grant program to help nonprofit organizations provide highly trained service dogs to veterans who need them at no cost to those who have served." Read On The Fox News App Fort Bragg Is Back Joining Luttrell in co-sponsoring the legislation are Reps. Vern Buchanan, R-Fla., Derrick Van Orden, R-Wis., Juan Ciscomani, R-Ariz., Claudia Tenney, R-N.Y., Don Davis, D-N.C., David Valadao, R-Calif., Greg Murphy, R-N.C., Wesley Hunt, R-Texas, John Rutherford, R-Fla., Jen Kiggins, R-Fla., Nancy Mace, R-S.C., and Jason Crow, R-Colo. The bill, which will be formally announced next week, is a critical step in assisting military veterans with mental health, Luttrell said. "With $10 million in funding per year for the next five years," the Texas lawmaker told Fox News Digital, "this bill ensures that organizations dedicated to training and placing service dogs have the resources they need to serve those who've sacrificed so much for our country."Original article source: Bipartisan bill would give eligible veterans free service dog
Fox News
27-03-2025
- Health
- Fox News
Bipartisan bill would give eligible veterans free service dog
EXCLUSIVE: A bipartisan group of lawmakers is teaming up to ensure veterans in need can obtain a service dog at no cost. "For veterans struggling with PTSD, traumatic brain injuries, or mobility impairments, these service dogs are more than just companions. They provide independence, security and healing," Rep. Morgan Luttrell, R-Texas, one of the lawmakers leading the charge on the legislation, told Fox News Digital. "They are a critical tool in the fight against veteran suicide and mental health challenges." The legislation, dubbed the "Service Dogs Assisting Veterans Act," or "SAVES Act," would mandate that the secretary of Veterans Affairs award grants to nonprofits whose mission is to provide service dogs to veterans. Those grants would allow eligible veterans to be provided with a service dog at no charge to them. Luttrell, a U.S. Navy veteran, believes the legislation is a critical step in preventing veteran suicide, an issue the Texas lawmaker has continued to stress as one of his most critical missions in Congress. "The SAVES Act is a straightforward, commonsense bill with a life-changing impact," Luttrell said. "This bipartisan legislation creates a grant program to help nonprofit organizations provide highly trained service dogs to veterans who need them at no cost to those who have served." Joining Luttrell in co-sponsoring the legislation are Reps. Vern Buchanan, R-Fla., Derrick Van Orden, R-Wis., Juan Ciscomani, R-Ariz., Claudia Tenney, R-N.Y., Don Davis, D-N.C., David Valadao, R-Calif., Greg Murphy, R-N.C., Wesley Hunt, R-Texas, John Rutherford, R-Fla., Jen Kiggins, R-Fla., Nancy Mace, R-S.C., and Jason Crow, R-Colo. The bill, which will be formally announced next week, is a critical step in assisting military veterans with mental health, Luttrell said. "With $10 million in funding per year for the next five years," the Texas lawmaker told Fox News Digital, "this bill ensures that organizations dedicated to training and placing service dogs have the resources they need to serve those who've sacrificed so much for our country."
