Derrick Van Orden (R-WI)
K–9 Hero Act of 2026
A Republican bill with no cosponsors
Last activity — Referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.
In committee
Introduced and handed to a committee in the chamber it started in.
The committee holds it, and most bills are never heard from again. A hearing or a committee vote would be news; silence is the usual outcome, and it kills the bill without anyone voting against it.
Its path through Congress
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
The K-9 Hero Act of 2026 aims to establish a grant program to help with the medical costs of retired Federal working dogs. The Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Homeland Security will jointly run this program. Grants will be given to eligible nonprofit organizations that focus on providing care or financial help to owners of these retired dogs. These funds are specifically intended to cover medical treatments, injuries, or health maintenance. The program includes strict rules on how funds are used and requires regular reporting. This legislation seeks to provide more reliable funding than the current reliance on donations to nonprofits.
Yes
- Scored +7
Would veterans be better off under this, taking everything together?
The bill benefits owners of retired federal working dogs, which are highly relevant to the veteran/service community.
- Scored +6
Does this increase the pay, pensions or support veterans receive?
The bill provides financial assistance for the medical needs of retired federal working dogs, benefiting those who served in federal roles.
- Scored +5
Does this help veterans get medical care?
The bill provides veterinary healthcare support for retired federal working dogs, which serves a similar purpose to veterans' care for service animals.
The opposite
No question was scored the opposite.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Financial relief for owners of retired Federal working dogs: The program provides grants to nonprofits that assist owners with covered medical expenses, such as treatments for injuries, illnesses, or maintaining health through supplements and medication (Section 3, subsections a, b, and i).
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Ensured coverage for necessary medical costs: By awarding Federal grants to nonprofits, the bill seeks to ensure that the necessary amounts of money are available to cover medical expenses which currently rely on unpredictable fundraising and donors (Section s, paragraph 5).
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Improved data and health monitoring: The Secretaries are required to develop statistics regarding health outcomes and monitor the funding necessary to support these dogs, which can help in understanding the actual needs of the animals (Section 3, subsection f).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
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Financial limitations on nonprofit organizations: A nonprofit organization is restricted to receiving no more than $1,000,000 in grants per fiscal year (Section 3, subsection d, paragraph 1).
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Potential reduction in future funding: If a nonprofit does not spend the full amount of a grant awarded in a specific fiscal year, the amount of its grant for the following year will be reduced by that unexpended amount (Section 3, subsection d, paragraph 2).
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Tap or hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Would veterans be better off under this, taking everything together? — The bill benefits owners of retired federal working dogs, which are highly relevant to the veteran/service community.
- National Security And Foreign Policy
- Does this increase the pay, pensions or support veterans receive? — The bill provides financial assistance for the medical needs of retired federal working dogs, benefiting those who served in federal roles.
- Healthcare
- Does this help veterans get medical care? — The bill provides veterinary healthcare support for retired federal working dogs, which serves a similar purpose to veterans' care for service animals.
- 7/14/2026
- Referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.
- Introduced in House