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 gain congressional support for a petition that seeks to establish a dedicated Department of Veterans Affairs office for the Service Dog Veterinary Health Insurance Benefit (VHIB) application.
Currently, veterans who have service dogs for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) are not eligible for veterinary insurance benefits through the Department of Veterans Affairs unless they also have a mobility disability. This is due to a federal regulation that has not been updated to fully implement the PAWS Act as intended, and there is no office assigned to administer this benefit.
IAM Assistant Legislative Director Ty Richardson recently joined Evans, Stymacks, and Groves in a meeting with staff from U.S. Rep. Steny Hoyer’s (D-Md.) office regarding Groves’ proposal to create a VHIB program within the Department of Veterans Affairs.
The IAM Union supported and advocated for H.R. 1448, known as the PAWS for Veterans Therapy Act, which was passed during 2021-2022. The law authorized the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to provide service dogs to veterans dealing with mental health conditions.
Despite this legislation, eligibility for VHIB remains limited to veterans with mobility impairments, excluding those whose only disabilities are related to mental health because the relevant regulation has not been updated.
“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 sent two letters to Congressman Hoyer addressing implementation of the PAWS Act and improvements needed for VHIB.
“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.
