PAW Act reintroduced to congress

The bipartisan People and Animals Well-being (PAW) Act was reintroduced to congress by Congresswomen Deborah Ross (NC-02) and Claudia Tenney (NY-24) to help increase access to pet insurance. The bill, if passed, would make veterinary care expenses eligible under tax-advantage health care spending accounts, particularly Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) and Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs).

“Pets are more than just animals – in many households, they’re family members. While household costs continue to rise, paying for pet insurance can become a financial burden that people can’t afford,” expressed Ross.

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“As a dog owner, I’m proud to introduce our bipartisan PAW Act, which will ensure animal lovers can afford care for their pets by including veterinary care and pet insurance as eligible expenses under HSAs and FSAs. I’m grateful for Congresswoman Tenney’s continued partnership to make sure all families can afford insurance for their furry friends,” she continued.¹

According to the release regarding the bill, the proposed legislation would also provide support to veterans and people living with disabilites by imposing no limit on veterinary care expenses for service animals.¹ The bill will also ensure that the IRS relies on an up-to-date federal definition of service animal for HSA and FSA expenses, including animals trained to assist with physical and mental disabilities.

“Pets and service animals are valued members of our families and lives, with many benefits including increasing our lifespan, reducing stress, and promoting physical activity. It is important we ensure pet owners can afford quality care. The PAWS Act allows pet owners to use HSAs and FSAs for veterinary care, ensuring all pet owners can keep their beloved pets and service animals healthy,” said Tenney.¹

Through the PAW Act, pet owners would be able to use HSA or FSA accounts to pay for up to $1000 for pet health insurance plans or veterinary care. The bill also maintains the current HSA and FSA contribution limits to help there be little to no impact on federal expenditures.

This bill is currently endorsed by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), the Human Animal Bond Research Institute, and MetLife.

“The AVMA-endorsed People and Animals Well-being (PAW) Act helps maintain animal and human health, promotes and emphasizes the health benefits of pet ownership, and allows more people to become pet owners,” said Sandra Faeh, DVM, AVMA president.

“Ensuring veterinary care and pet health insurance are eligible expenses under Health Savings and Flexible Spending Accounts means more affordable care for pets, greater access to care for service animals, and an enhanced ability to detect and prevent zoonotic diseases. We thank Reps. Tenney and Ross for their leadership on this issue and urge Congress to promptly pass the PAW Act,” she concluded.¹

Reference

1. Ross, Tenney Introduce Bill to Make Pet Insurance More Affordable. News release. Deborah Ross 2^nd District of North Carolina. March 21, 2025. Accessed march 27, 2025. https://ross.house.gov/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=06CCC11F-67AB-4A1F-9E2F-E8EA266897F1