House OKs more service dogs at VA facilities - Army News | News from Afghanistan & Iraq - Army Times

House OKs more service dogs at VA facilities

The Veterans Affairs Department soon could be going to the dogs after a key House vote Tuesday to expand the types of assistance dogs allowed in VA facilities.

VA service-dog regulations, last changed in 1985, guarantee access to only seeing-eye dogs. Other canines trained to help with mobility, hearing impairment, seizure disorders or post-traumatic stress or other mental illnesses are allowed onto VA facilities only by local policy, which is inconsistently applied.

“As a result of current regulations, disabled veterans may be denied entrance to VA medical facilities if accompanied by their VA-approved service dog,” the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee said in an Oct. 5 report about why the change is needed.

The provision, passed by the House on a voice vote, would open VA hospitals, clinics, vet centers and regional offices, including any property owned or leased by the agency. The provision is included in HR 2074, a veterans’ health-care bill.

No policy change would occur unless the Senate also passes the bill. The Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee has approved a similar provision as part of a veterans’ health bill, but the measure has not yet come to a vote in the full Senate.

Responding to complaints from veterans, VA issued a directive in March requiring hospitals and clinics to have written policies for the dogs. The directive authorized but did not require access and demanded only that facilities have the same rules for veterans that apply to the general public.

The 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act, which allows service dogs to accompany owners into most public and private buildings, does not apply to Defense Department or VA facilities, said Christina Roof, deputy national legislative director for the veterans’ service organization AmVets.

“The directive did not resolve the problem,” Roof said. “I still receive calls from people who were denied access.”

Rep. John Carter, R-Texas, the chief sponsor of legislation to allow service dog access, said making the change would cost nothing and it would keep up with advances in treatment. “With this increased usage, it is crucial that we help these veterans and their dogs gain access to all VA facilities,” he said.