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118-s-2414118th Congress

Working Dog Health and Welfare Act of 2023

Sponsored By: Senator Braun, Mike [R-IN]

Became Law

Summary

This law requires federal agencies and contractors to adopt GAO recommendations to protect the health and welfare of federal working dogs. It also makes the State Department follow those standards for donated dogs and asks agencies to report how they complied.

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  • Agencies and contractors must implement the GAO working dog recommendations within 180 days. Agency heads must submit a report to the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs and the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability within 60 days after implementation.
  • The Secretary of State must ensure donations of working dogs to foreign partners are executed and monitored under the GAO recommendations within 180 days.
  • Any new agency working dog program or contract must build the GAO recommendations into its operations from the start.
  • Working dogs and their handlers gain more consistent standards for care, training, tracking, and post-service oversight as described in the GAO report.

*Does not authorize additional appropriations to carry out the law.*

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

3 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 1 costs, 0 mixed.

Agencies must follow new working dog rules

The law requires every federal agency that uses working dogs to follow the Government Accountability Office’s care and welfare recommendations. Contractors that run these programs for agencies must follow them too. They must finish implementation within 180 days after enactment. New programs started after enactment must use these rules from the start. Within 60 days after finishing, the agency head must report the steps taken to the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee and the House Oversight and Accountability Committee.

State Department oversight of donated working dogs

The Secretary of State must make sure working dogs donated to foreign partners meet GAO care and welfare standards. The State Department must execute and monitor these donations under those standards within 180 days after enactment.

No new funding to carry out law

The law does not authorize any new funds to carry it out. Agencies must use existing budgets to meet the requirements. This may affect how fast they can act.

Sponsors & CoSponsors

Sponsor

Braun, Mike [R-IN]

IN • R

Cosponsors

  • Rep. Sinema, Kyrsten [D-AZ-9]

    AZ • D

    Sponsored 7/20/2023

Roll Call Votes

No roll call votes available for this bill.

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