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 calls for the creation of a dedicated Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) office to manage the Service Dog Veterinary Health Insurance Benefit (VHIB) application process.
Currently, veterans diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder who have service dogs are not eligible for VA veterinary insurance benefits unless they also have a mobility disability. This is due to an existing federal regulation that has not been updated to fully implement the PAWS Act, and because there is no specific office assigned to administer this benefit.
IAM Assistant Legislative Director Ty Richardson recently joined Evans, Stymacks, and Groves in meeting with staff from U.S. Rep. Steny Hoyer’s (D-Md.) office regarding Groves’ proposal to establish a VHIB program within the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Groves and the IAM Union previously supported and lobbied for H.R. 1448, known as the PAWS for Veterans Therapy Act, which was passed in 2021-2022. The law authorizes the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to provide service dogs to veterans with mental health conditions.
Eligibility for VHIB currently remains limited only to veterans with mobility impairments, excluding those whose disabilities are solely related to mental health. This situation exists because regulations have not been updated since the passage of the PAWS Act.
“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 addressed to Congressman Hoyer concerning implementation of the PAWS Act and improvement of 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.
