The Service Dogs Assisting Veterans Act, known as the SAVES Act, directs the Department of Veterans Affairs to establish a grant program that awards money to nonprofit organizations training and providing service dogs to eligible veterans. Eligible veterans must be enrolled in the VA health system and have disabilities such as blindness, mobility impairment, hearing loss, traumatic brain injury, post-traumatic stress disorder, military sexual trauma, or other disabilities the VA deems appropriate. Nonprofit organizations applying for grants must be accredited by Assistance Dogs International or a similar recognized organization, and they must ensure equal access to service dogs for women veterans and provide training, aftercare services, and marketing to reach eligible veterans. Each nonprofit can receive up to $2 million in grant funding, and the legislation authorizes $10 million annually from 2024 through 2028 to support the program. The bill was introduced in June 2023 and referred to the Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
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