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 backing for a petition aimed at establishing a dedicated Veterans Administration department for the Service Dog Veterinary Health Insurance Benefit (VHIB) application.
Currently, veterans who have service dogs for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder are unable to receive veterinary insurance benefits through the Department of Veterans Affairs unless they also have a mobility disability. This situation is due to a federal regulation that has not been updated to implement the PAWS Act as intended, and because there is no office dedicated to issuing this benefit.
IAM Assistant Legislative Director Ty Richardson recently joined Evans, Stymacks, and Groves in meeting with staff from U.S. Representative Steny Hoyer’s office regarding Groves’ proposal to create a Department of Veterans Affairs VHIB program.
The IAM Union previously supported and lobbied for H.R. 1448, known as the PAWS for Veterans Therapy Act (2021-2022), which was passed and authorized the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to provide service dogs to veterans with mental health conditions.
Eligibility for VHIB remains restricted to veterans with mobility impairments, leaving out those whose disabilities are solely related to mental health because the relevant regulation has not been updated since the law’s passage.
“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 concerning implementation of the PAWS Act and improvements to 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.
