SAVES Act of 2025 | ChamberLight

REPORTED· 119TH CONGRESS

Senate BillS 1441Veterinary medicine and animal diseasesService animals

SAVES Act of 2025

INTRO APR 10· LAST ACTION FEB 24

READING

13MIN

COSPONSORS

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NO VOTES YET · BE THE FIRST

Reported, not passed

LEGISLATIVE PROGRESS

STEP 3 / 8

Introduced

In Committee

Reported

Passed Senate

Passed House

Conference

To President

Became Law

WHAT THE BILL DOES

AI-written

This bill matters because it addresses a critical need for many veterans who could benefit from the assistance and companionship of a service dog. Currently, obtaining a highly trained service dog can be very expensive and waiting lists can be long. If this bill becomes law, it would create a dedicated federal program to help more veterans get these dogs, removing financial barriers and potentially reducing wait times through increased support for qualified nonprofits.

It ensures that the cost of the dog itself is covered and goes a step further by including veterinary insurance, alleviating a major ongoing expense for veterans. Without this bill, access to service dogs for veterans might continue to rely heavily on fragmented charitable efforts and individual financial capabilities, limiting the number of veterans who can receive this vital support. This legislation aims to provide a more structured and sustained pathway for veterans to access these important resources.

KEY PROVISIONS

5AI-extracted

PROVISION 01

Requires the VA to establish a five-year pilot program to award grants to nonprofit entities for providing service dogs to eligible veterans.

This creates a new, federally funded pathway for veterans to receive service dogs and establishes a specific timeframe for evaluation.

PROVISION 02

Mandates that nonprofit grant recipients cannot charge veterans any fees for the service dogs provided through the program.

This ensures that financial barriers are removed for veterans seeking service dogs through this government-supported initiative.

PROVISION 03

Requires the VA to provide a commercially available veterinary insurance policy for each service dog given to a veteran, which continues even if the pilot program ends.

This provision covers ongoing healthcare costs for the service dogs, providing long-term financial relief to veterans beyond the initial placement of the animal.

PROVISION 04

Sets a maximum grant amount of $2,000,000 for each nonprofit entity awarded funds under the program.

This provides a clear financial limit for individual grants, helping to manage program costs and distribute funds among multiple organizations.

PROVISION 05

Requires nonprofit applicants to demonstrate experience in training service dogs in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

This ensures that the service dogs provided are professionally trained and meet legal standards for public access and assistance.

SPONSORSHIP

1 + 29

COSPONSOR BREAKDOWNBIPARTISAN · 42%

DEM 22 REP 6 IND 1

ACTION TIMELINE

6 EVENTS

FEB 24

Committee on Veterans' Affairs. Reported by Senator Moran with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. With written report No. 119-113.

COMMITTEE

FEB 24

Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 342.

CALENDARS

JUL 30

Committee on Veterans' Affairs. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.

COMMITTEE

MAY 21

Committee on Veterans' Affairs. Hearings held. Hearings printed: S.Hrg. 119-86.

COMMITTEE

BILL INFO

TypeSenate Bill

NumberS 1441

Congress119th

StatusReported

IntroducedApr 10, 2025

Last actionFeb 24, 2026

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REPORTED· 119TH CONGRESS · VETERANS' AFFAIRS COMMITTEE · INTRODUCED APR 10, 2025

Senate BillS 1441Veterinary medicine and animal diseasesService animals

SAVES Act of 2025

INTRODUCED APR 10, 2025· LAST ACTION FEB 24, 2026

PASSAGE CHANCES

—%

READING

13 min

COSPONSORS

COMPLEXITY

Moderate

Call my reps

LEGISLATIVE PROGRESS

STEP 3 OF 8

Introduced

In Committee

Reported

Passed Senate

Passed House

Conference

To President

Became Law

Introduced
In Committee
Reported
Passed Senate
Passed House
Conference
To President
Became Law

WHAT THE BILL DOES

AI-written

KEY PROVISIONS

AI-extracted

high

Requires the VA to establish a five-year pilot program to award grants to nonprofit entities for providing service dogs to eligible veterans.

This creates a new, federally funded pathway for veterans to receive service dogs and establishes a specific timeframe for evaluation.

high

Mandates that nonprofit grant recipients cannot charge veterans any fees for the service dogs provided through the program.

This ensures that financial barriers are removed for veterans seeking service dogs through this government-supported initiative.

high

Requires the VA to provide a commercially available veterinary insurance policy for each service dog given to a veteran, which continues even if the pilot program ends.

This provision covers ongoing healthcare costs for the service dogs, providing long-term financial relief to veterans beyond the initial placement of the animal.

med

Sets a maximum grant amount of $2,000,000 for each nonprofit entity awarded funds under the program.

This provides a clear financial limit for individual grants, helping to manage program costs and distribute funds among multiple organizations.

med

Requires nonprofit applicants to demonstrate experience in training service dogs in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

This ensures that the service dogs provided are professionally trained and meet legal standards for public access and assistance.

DEADLINES & DATES

AI-extracted

An AI model extracted this from the bill’s official record and can make mistakes. Check the official text ↗ (opens in new tab)

Not later than 24 months after the date of the enactment of this Act

Establish the pilot program for grants to nonprofit entities.

Five-year period beginning on the date on which the first grant is awarded

Duration of the pilot program.

FUNDING & AUTHORIZATIONS

AI-extracted

An AI model extracted this from the bill’s official record and can make mistakes. Check the official text ↗ (opens in new tab)

AMOUNT	PROGRAM	TYPE	YEARS
$2,000,000	Grant to a nonprofit entity	discretionary	Per grant

GLOSSARY

AI-written

Secretary of Veterans Affairs: The head of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, responsible for programs and services for veterans.
Nonprofit entities: Organizations that are not run for profit and typically use any surplus revenue to achieve their goals rather than distributing it to owners or shareholders. In this context, they likely train and provide service dogs.
Service dogs: Dogs specially trained to perform tasks for people with disabilities. They are not pets but working animals.
Eligible veterans: Military veterans who meet specific criteria defined by the Department of Veterans Affairs to qualify for certain benefits or programs.
Pilot program: A small-scale, experimental program or project carried out to test the feasibility or effectiveness of a larger plan.
Grants: Funds provided by a government or other organization to an individual or entity for a specific purpose, often without expectation of repayment.
Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA): A civil rights law that prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities in all areas of public life, including jobs, schools, transportation, and all public and private places that are open to the general public. It includes rules for service animals.

ACTION TIMELINE

6 EVENTS

FEB 24

Committee on Veterans' Affairs. Reported by Senator Moran with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. With written report No. 119-113.

COMMITTEE

FEB 24

Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 342.

CALENDARS

JUL 30, 25

Committee on Veterans' Affairs. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.

COMMITTEE

MAY 21, 25

Committee on Veterans' Affairs. Hearings held. Hearings printed: S.Hrg. 119-86.

COMMITTEE

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Committee Referrals

Veterans' Affairs CommitteeReferred

Feb 24, 2026

senate

Related Hearings

Hearings to examine S.214, to amend title 38, United States Code, to increase the rate of the special pension payable to Medal of Honor recipients, S.219, to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out a pilot program to improve the ability of veterans to access medical care in medical facilities of the Department of Veterans Affairs and in the community by providing veterans the ability to choose health care providers, S.506, to require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out a pilot program to coordinate, navigate, and manage care and benefits for veterans enrolled in both the Medicare program and the system of annual patient enrollment of the Department of Veterans Affairs, S.585, to amend title 38, United States Code, to establish a pre-transition health care registration process to facilitate enrollment in the patient enrollment system of the Department of Veterans Affairs by members of the Armed Forces who are separating from the Armed Forces, S.599, to amend title 38, United States Code, to increase the mileage rate offered by the Department of Veterans Affairs through their Beneficiary Travel program for health related travel, S.605, to amend title 38, United States Code, to increase the maximum age for children eligible for medical care under the CHAMPVA program, S.635, to amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to recognize nurse registries for purposes of the Veterans Community Care Program, S.649, to amend title 38, United States Code, to expand eligibility for Post-9/11 Educational Assistance to members of the National Guard who perform certain full-time duty, S.778, to amend title 38, United States Code, to require a lactation space in each medical center of the Department of Veterans Affairs, S.784, to expand and modify the grant program of the Department of Veterans Affairs to provide innovative transportation options to veterans in highly rural areas, S.800, to modify the Precision Medicine for Veterans Initiative of the Department of Veterans Affairs, S.827, to extend and modify the transportation grant program of the Department of Veterans Affairs, S.879, to expand medical, employment, and other benefits for individuals serving as family caregivers for certain veterans, S.1318, to direct the American Battle Monuments Commission to establish a program to identify American-Jewish servicemembers buried in United States military cemeteries overseas under markers that incorrectly represent their religion and heritage, S.1320, to direct the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to take certain steps regarding research related to menopause, perimenopause, or mid-life women's health, S.1383, to establish the Veterans Advisory Committee on Equal Access, S.1441, to require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to award grants to nonprofit entities to assist such entities in carrying out programs to provide service dogs to eligible veterans, S.1533, to amend title 38, United States Code, to make permanent and codify the pilot program for use of contract physicians for disability examinations, S.1543, to amend title 38, United States Code, to establish in the Department of Veterans Affairs the Veterans Economic Opportunity and Transition Administration, and S.1591, to amend title 38, United States Code, to reorganize the acquisition structure of the Department of Veterans Affairs and to establish the Director of Cost Assessment and Program Evaluation in the Department.

Veterans' Affairs Committee (senate)May 21, 2025

Transcript Video

Business meeting to consider S.275, to improve the provision of care and services under the Veterans Community Care Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs, S.506, to require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out a pilot program to coordinate, navigate, and manage care and benefits for veterans enrolled in both the Medicare program and the system of annual patient enrollment of the Department of Veterans Affairs, S.607, to require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish an integrated project team to improve the process for scheduling appointments for health care from the Department of Veterans Affairs, S.610, to expand the VetSuccess on Campus program of the Department of Veterans Affairs, S.635, to amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to recognize nurse registries for purposes of the Veterans Community Care Program, S.654, to amend title 38, United States Code, to establish an external provider scheduling program to assist the Department of Veterans Affairs in scheduling appointments for care and services under the Veterans Community Care Program, S.702, to require a study on the quality of care difference between mental health and addiction therapy care provided by health care providers of the Department of Veterans Affairs compared to non-Department providers, S.778, to amend title 38, United States Code, to require a lactation space in each medical center of the Department of Veterans Affairs, S.787, to amend title 38, United States Code, to establish a commission to review operations at the Veterans Health Administration and submit to Congress reports with respect to that review, and for other programs, S.800, to modify the Precision Medicine for Veterans Initiative of the Department of Veterans Affairs, S.827, to extend and modify the transportation grant program of the Department of Veterans Affairs, S.831, to amend title 38, United States Code, to require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to improve telephone communication by the Department of Veterans Affairs, S.879, to expand medical, employment, and other benefits for individuals serving as family caregivers for certain veterans, S.972, to amend title 38, United States Code, to ensure that the Secretary of Veterans Affairs repays members of the Armed Forces for certain contributions made by such members towards Post-9/11 Educational Assistance, S.1139, to amend the Commander John Scott Hannon Veterans Mental Health Care Improvement Act of 2019 to modify and reauthorize the Staff Sergeant Parker Gordon Fox Suicide Prevention Grant Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs, S.1245, to amend title 38, United States Code, to expand health care and benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs for military sexual trauma, S.1318, to direct the American Battle Monuments Commission to establish a program to identify American-Jewish servicemembers buried in United States military cemeteries overseas under markers that incorrectly represent their religion and heritage, S.1320, to direct the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to take certain steps regarding research related to menopause, perimenopause, or mid-life women's health, S.1383, to establish the Veterans Advisory Committee on Equal Access, S.1441, to require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to award grants to nonprofit entities to assist such entities in carrying out programs to provide service dogs to eligible veterans, S.1533, to amend title 38, United States Code, to make permanent and codify the pilot program for use of contract physicians for disability examinations, S.1591, to amend title 38, United States Code, to reorganize the acquisition structure of the Department of Veterans Affairs and to establish the Director of Cost Assessment and Program Evaluation in the Department, S.2392, to increase, effective as of December 1, 2025, the rates of compensation for veterans with service-connected disabilities and the rates of dependency and indemnity compensation for the survivors of certain disabled veterans, and S.2393, to authorize a major medical facility project for the Department of Veterans Affairs for fiscal year 2026 in St. Louis, Missouri.

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SAVES Act of 2025

LEGISLATIVE PROGRESS

WHAT THE BILL DOES

KEY PROVISIONS

SPONSORSHIP

ACTION TIMELINE

BILL INFO

READER REACTIONS

Discussion

SAVES Act of 2025

LEGISLATIVE PROGRESS

WHAT THE BILL DOES

KEY PROVISIONS

DEADLINES & DATES

FUNDING & AUTHORIZATIONS

GLOSSARY

ACTION TIMELINE

SPONSORS

READER REACTIONS

What do you think?

Discussion

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