# 115-hr-2225: Veterans Dog Training Therapy Act

115-hr-2225, Veterans Dog Training Therapy Act, is a 115th Congress bill sponsored by Rep. Stivers, Steve [R-OH-15] (R-OH); status Subcommittee Hearings Held. (as of 2025-11-18).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/115-hr-2225
- As of: 2025-11-18
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 115-hr-2225
- Congress: 115
- Title: Veterans Dog Training Therapy Act
- Status: Subcommittee Hearings Held.
- Introduced: 2017-04-28
- Sponsor: Rep. Stivers, Steve [R-OH-15] (R-OH)
- Cosponsors: 63
- Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security
- Touches household money: no
- Last recorded action: 2025-11-18

## Summary

Veterans Dog Training Therapy Act This bill directs the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to carry out a five-year pilot program to assess the effectiveness of addressing veterans' post-deployment mental health and post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms through the therapeutic medium of training service dogs for veterans with disabilities. The VA shall: seek to enter into contracts with non-government entities that are certified in the training and handling of service dogs and that are located in close proximity to at least three but not more than five VA medical centers, provide such entities access to a training area in a VA facility that would be appropriate for use in educating veterans with mental health conditions in service dog training and handling, administer the program through the Center for Compassionate Innovation of the Veterans Health Administration in collaboration with the Recreation Therapy Service under the direction of a certified recreational therapist, and establish a director of therapeutic service dog training. Veterans may participate in the program in conjunction with the VA's compensated work therapy program.

## Cosponsors (63)

- Rep. Walz, Timothy J. [D-MN-1] (D-MN), 2017-04-28T00:00:00.000Z
- WALTER JONES (R-NC), 2017-05-17T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Sinema, Kyrsten [D-AZ-9] (D-AZ), 2017-05-17T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Pingree, Chellie [D-ME-1] (D-ME), 2017-05-17T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Blumenauer, Earl [D-OR-3] (D-OR), 2017-05-17T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Kaptur, Marcy [D-OH-9] (D-OH), 2017-05-17T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Lance, Leonard [R-NJ-7] (R-NJ), 2017-05-17T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Harper, Gregg [R-MS-3] (R-MS), 2017-05-17T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Knight, Stephen [R-CA-25] (R-CA), 2017-05-17T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Dingell, Debbie [D-MI-6] (D-MI), 2017-05-17T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Upton, Fred [R-MI-6] (R-MI), 2017-05-17T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Farenthold, Blake [R-TX-27] (R-TX), 2017-05-17T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Ryan, Tim [D-OH-13] (D-OH), 2017-05-17T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Costello, Ryan A. [R-PA-6] (R-PA), 2017-06-26T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Shea-Porter, Carol [D-NH-1] (D-NH), 2017-07-11T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Raskin, Jamie [D-MD-8] (D-MD), 2017-07-11T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Bishop, Rob [R-UT-1] (R-UT), 2017-07-11T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Gallagher, Mike [R-WI-8] (R-WI), 2017-07-11T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Donovan, Daniel M., Jr. [R-NY-11] (R-NY), 2017-07-11T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Carter, John R. [R-TX-31] (R-TX), 2017-07-11T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Takano, Mark [D-CA-39] (D-CA), 2017-07-11T00:00:00.000Z
- Del. Norton, Eleanor Holmes [D-DC-At Large] (D-DC), 2017-07-11T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Hastings, Alcee L. [D-FL-20] (D-FL), 2017-07-11T00:00:00.000Z
- WM. CLAY (D-MO), 2017-07-11T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Lawrence, Brenda L. [D-MI-14] (D-MI), 2017-07-11T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Titus, Dina [D-NV-1] (D-NV), 2017-07-11T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Fitzpatrick, Brian K. [R-PA-1] (R-PA), 2017-07-11T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Norcross, Donald [D-NJ-1] (D-NJ), 2017-07-11T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Cohen, Steve [D-TN-9] (D-TN), 2017-07-11T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Barragán, Nanette Diaz [D-CA-44] (D-CA), 2017-07-11T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Joyce, David P. [R-OH-14] (R-OH), 2017-09-26T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Olson, Pete [R-TX-22] (R-TX), 2017-09-26T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Barletta, Lou [R-PA-11] (R-PA), 2017-09-26T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Loebsack, David [D-IA-2] (D-IA), 2017-09-26T00:00:00.000Z
- FRANK LOBIONDO (R-NJ), 2017-09-26T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Delaney, John K. [D-MD-6] (D-MD), 2017-09-26T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Lipinski, Daniel [D-IL-3] (D-IL), 2017-09-26T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Himes, James A. [D-CT-4] (D-CT), 2017-09-26T00:00:00.000Z
- PETER KING (R-NY), 2017-09-26T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Evans, Dwight [D-PA-3] (D-PA), 2017-09-26T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Hurd, Will [R-TX-23] (R-TX), 2017-09-26T00:00:00.000Z
- Resident Commissioner González-Colón, Jenniffer [R-PR-At Large] (R-PR), 2017-09-26T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Byrne, Bradley [R-AL-1] (R-AL), 2017-09-26T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Smucker, Lloyd [R-PA-11] (R-PA), 2017-09-26T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Gibbs, Bob [R-OH-7] (R-OH), 2017-09-26T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Hudson, Richard [R-NC-9] (R-NC), 2017-11-01T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Carbajal, Salud O. [D-CA-24] (D-CA), 2017-11-01T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Swalwell, Eric [D-CA-14] (D-CA), 2017-11-01T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Zeldin, Lee M. [R-NY-1] (R-NY), 2017-11-01T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Khanna, Ro [D-CA-17] (D-CA), 2017-11-01T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Carson, André [D-IN-7] (D-IN), 2017-11-01T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Pocan, Mark [D-WI-2] (D-WI), 2017-11-01T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Meehan, Patrick [R-PA-7] (R-PA), 2017-11-01T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Vargas, Juan [D-CA-52] (D-CA), 2017-11-29T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. McSally, Martha [R-AZ-2] (R-AZ), 2017-11-29T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Napolitano, Grace F. [D-CA-31] (D-CA), 2017-11-29T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Huizenga, Bill [R-MI-4] (R-MI), 2017-11-29T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Moore, Gwen [D-WI-4] (D-WI), 2017-11-29T00:00:00.000Z
- LOUISE SLAUGHTER (D-NY), 2017-11-29T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Jayapal, Pramila [D-WA-7] (D-WA), 2018-03-13T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Coffman, Mike [R-CO-6] (R-CO), 2018-03-13T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Perlmutter, Ed [D-CO-7] (D-CO), 2018-03-13T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Graves, Tom [R-GA-14] (R-GA), 2018-05-11T00:00:00.000Z

## Related bills

- 115-hr-2519: The American Legion 100th Anniversary Commemorative Coin Act
- 115-hr-299: Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act of 2018
- 115-hr-1676: Palliative Care and Hospice Education and Training Act
- 115-hr-1017: Removing Barriers to Colorectal Cancer Screening Act of 2017
- 115-hr-2740: Rabbi Michoel Ber Weissmandl Congressional Gold Medal Act of 2017 (sic)
- 115-hr-4107: USS Indianapolis Congressional Gold Medal Act

## Sources
- [115-hr-2225 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/house-bill/2225)

## Related
- [115-hr-2519: The American Legion 100th Anniversary Commemorative Coin Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/115-hr-2519)
- [115-hr-299: Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act of 2018](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/115-hr-299)
- [115-hr-1676: Palliative Care and Hospice Education and Training Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/115-hr-1676)
- [115-hr-1017: Removing Barriers to Colorectal Cancer Screening Act of 2017](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/115-hr-1017)
- [115-hr-2740: Rabbi Michoel Ber Weissmandl Congressional Gold Medal Act of 2017 (sic)](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/115-hr-2740)
- [115-hr-4107: USS Indianapolis Congressional Gold Medal Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/115-hr-4107)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/115-hr-2225 (as of 2025-11-18).