S. 1441 — SAVES Act of 2025

This section requires the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish, not later than 24 months after enactment, a five-year pilot program to award grants of up to $2 million each, on a competitive basis, to nonprofit entities for providing service dogs to eligible veterans. Eligible veterans are those (as defined in 38 U.S.C. §101) with a physician-determined disability, condition, or diagnosis such as blindness or visual impairment, loss of use of a limb or paralysis (including mental health-related mobility issues), hearing loss, post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injury, or any other that the Secretary deems optimal for service dog management (e.g., to promote independence). Grant applications must describe service dog training, veteran training, additional support, marketing to eligible veterans, humane animal standards, and experience complying with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. Grant recipients must use funds for covered programs serving only eligible veterans (with possible caps on administrative expenses), notify veterans of VA funding and available benefits and services, and charge no fees; the Secretary must provide each such veteran with continuing commercial veterinary insurance for the dog (regardless of pilot termination) and may offer training and technical assistance. The Secretary must also impose oversight, monitoring, reporting, and payment interval requirements.