AUTHORITY FOR SECRETARY OF VETERANS AFFAIRS TO PROVIDE SERVICE DOGS FOR VETERANS WITH CERTAIN DISABILITIES.

SEC. 201. AUTHORITY FOR SECRETARY OF VETERANS AFFAIRS TO PROVIDE SERVICE DOGS FOR VETERANS WITH CERTAIN DISABILITIES. (a) Authority.—Section 1714 is amended— (1) in subsection (b)— (A) by striking “seeing-eye or” the first place it appears; (B) by striking “who are entitled to disability compensation” and inserting “who are enrolled under section 1705 of this title”; (C) by striking “, and may pay” and all that follows through “such seeing-eye or guide dogs”; and (D) by striking “handicap” and inserting “disability”; and 115 STAT. 2457 (2) by adding at the end the following new subsections: “(c) The Secretary may, in accordance with the priority specified in section 1705 of this title, provide— “(1) service dogs trained for the aid of the hearing impaired to veterans who are hearing impaired and are enrolled under section 1705 of this title; and “(2) service dogs trained for the aid of persons with spinal cord injury or dysfunction or other chronic impairment that substantially limits mobility to veterans with such injury, dysfunction, or impairment who are enrolled under section 1705 of this title. “(d) In the case of a veteran provided a dog under subsection (b) or (c), the Secretary may pay travel and incidental expenses for that veteran under the terms and conditions set forth in section 111 of this title to and from the veteran’s home for expenses incurred in becoming adjusted to the dog.”. (b) Clerical Amendments.—(1) The heading for such section is amended to read as follows: “§ 1714. Fitting and training in use of prosthetic appliances; guide dogs; service dogs”. (2) The item relating to such section in the table of sections at the beginning of chapter 17 is amended to read as follows: “1714. Fitting and training in use of prosthetic appliances; guide dogs; service dogs.”.