Honoring and commending the 80th anniversary of the Blinded Veterans Association.

This resolution honors the Blinded Veterans Association on its 80th anniversary and recognizes its long service to blind and low-vision veterans. It also reaffirms the Senate’s commitment to supporting and improving services and opportunities for all veterans .

It urges the Department of Veterans Affairs to make sure guide dogs and their handlers have safe access to VA facilities, and to have a trained “Service Dog Champion” at every VA medical center to handle service animal access and related issues .

• Who is affected: Blind and low-vision veterans; veterans who use service dogs; VA medical centers and staff .
• What changes: Encourages the VA to ensure safe access for guide dogs and to assign a trained staff member at each VA medical center to help with service animal access and issues .
• When: Upon adoption of the resolution; it expresses support and urges action rather than creating new legal requirements .