Sponsors (33)
This bill provides modest, predictable federal grants to reduce veterinary costs and improve care for retired Federal working dogs and their handlers, while imposing a small annual federal expenditure and leaving some dogs and smaller/new nonprofits ineligible.
Handlers (including federal employees and veterans) and nonprofit organizations that assist retired Federal working dogs will receive grants to cover part of veterinary/medical expenses, reducing handlers' out-of-pocket costs and improving access to veterinary care for those dogs.
The bill authorizes predictable federal funding ($1,000,000 per year for FY2026–2030), giving nonprofits and handlers greater program stability and enabling better planning by applicants and service providers.
Some retired working dogs and their handlers may be excluded because the program covers only dogs with agency-issued retirement letters in the handlers' care, so dogs adopted by others or lacking paperwork could remain ineligible.
Taxpayers bear the cost: the program requires $1,000,000 in annual appropriations (FY2026–2030), increasing federal spending without specified offsets.
Smaller or newer nonprofit organizations (under two years of service) are ineligible, which could exclude capable local or recent programs from receiving assistance.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Creates a DHS grant program to reimburse eligible 501(c)(3) nonprofits for part of retired federal working dogs’ medical care, authorizing $1M annually for FY2026–2030.
Creates a new DHS grant program that lets qualified 501(c)(3) nonprofits enter agreements with the Department of Homeland Security to cover part of medical care costs for retired federal working dogs that have an agency-issued retirement letter and are in the care of their handler. The law authorizes $1,000,000 per year in appropriations for each of fiscal years 2026 through 2030 and sets basic eligibility and application requirements for participating nonprofits.
Introduced May 1, 2025 by Brian K. Fitzpatrick · Last progress May 1, 2025