Al Franken’s first bill has been passed and its one we can put our paws together for:  specially trained service dogs will be provided for disabled war veterans.  Noel Brinkerhoff on Allgov.com explains how the bill came to be:

Teaming up with Republican Johnny Isakson from Georgia, Franken introduced the Franken-Isakson Service Dogs for Veterans Act, a pilot program to provide specially trained canines to disabled war veterans. Franken got the idea after meeting Luis Carlos Montalvan, an Army intelligence officer who was seriously wounded in Iraq and today struggles to walk and suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder. Montalvan is aided, though, by his service dog Tuesday, a golden retriever who not only provides companionship but can help ward off panic attacks and remind his master to take his medication.

Service dogs can benefit such individuals not only by being of physical assistance but by providing emotional and mental assistance.

In 1995, a 2-year study by Dr. Karen Allen, et. al., found that people with disabilities that had service dogs scored higher for psychological well-being, self-esteem, community integration, and the amount of control they could exert over their environment.