IAM Veterans Services Coordinator Rich Evans and Assistant Coordinator Bryan Stymacks are working with Guide Dogs of America | Tender Loving Canines recipient Brennon Groves to seek congressional support for a petition that calls for the creation of a dedicated Veterans Administration department focused on service dog veterinary health insurance benefits (VHIB).
Currently, veterans who have service dogs for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) cannot access veterinary insurance benefits through the Department of Veterans Affairs unless they also have a mobility disability. This situation exists because federal regulations have not been updated to fully implement the PAWS Act as intended, and there is no specific office responsible for administering this benefit.
Recently, IAM Assistant Legislative Director Ty Richardson joined Evans, Stymacks, and Groves in meeting with staff from U.S. Representative Steny Hoyer’s office to discuss Groves’ proposal for establishing a VHIB program within the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Groves, with support from the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM), advocated for H.R. 1448, known as the PAWS for Veterans Therapy Act. The legislation was passed in 2021-2022 and authorized the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to provide service dogs to veterans with mental health conditions.
Despite this legislative progress, eligibility for VHIB remains limited to veterans with mobility impairments. Those whose disabilities are solely related to mental health remain excluded because regulations have not been updated to match the law’s intent.
“Under the PAWs Act, veterans with only mental health conditions have the right to this benefit,” said Evans. “But without updating the regulation for it, these veterans don’t qualify for it. All we need is for Congress to make an amendment to the regulation to correlate with the intent of the PAWs Act, which was passed.”
IAM International President Brian Bryant has written two letters to Congressman Hoyer about implementing changes related to the PAWS Act and improving VHIB access.
“We’re going to keep lobbying members of Congress to explain the situation and pressure our legislators to make sure veterans with mental health disabilities can access the benefit according to the law’s intent,” said Groves.
