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.

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Veteran Matt Brustien, Paws of War co-founder Robert Misseri and Gavin DeGraw embrace new service dog, Sadie, on stage. A new bill would allow eligible veterans to be provided a service dog for free. (Paws of War)

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.”

Retired U.S. Navy SEAL Morgan Luttrell speaks during the Conservative Political Action Conference on July 10, 2021, in Dallas, Texas. (Brandon Bell/Getty Images)

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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.

The Department of Veterans Affairs would provide grants to fund the program. (Stefani Reynolds/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

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“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.”