What This Bill Does
The PEARL Act would require the Secretary of Homeland Security, acting through the CBP Commissioner, to create a pilot program within 60 days of enactment to adopt dogs from local animal shelters and train them as support dogs for U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Support Canine Program. The pilot would last three years from the date it is established. In practical terms, the bill affects CBP and the local shelters that could supply the dogs, rather than the general public. It does not authorize a new spending amount or change benefits for consumers; it creates a limited federal pilot inside one agency.
- Requires DHS, through the CBP Commissioner, to create a pilot program.
- The pilot must begin within 60 days after enactment.
- CBP would adopt dogs from local animal shelters.
- The dogs would be trained as support dogs for CBP’s Support Canine Program.
- The pilot would end three years after it is established.
Who This Bill Affects
If you are a local animal shelter, a CBP employee connected to the Support Canine Program, or someone who cares about shelter-animal placement, this bill could create a small but concrete benefit by allowing CBP to adopt dogs from shelters and train them for support roles. If you are just a general member of the public, the direct effect is limited because the bill changes an internal CBP program rather than taxes, benefits, or public services. There is no dollar amount in the text, and the main change is the creation of a three-year pilot that must start within 60 days of enactment.
See how this bill affects you — sign in for a personalized analysisWho Supports & Opposes This
- CBP personnel and support staff Supporters could argue that shelter dogs may be a practical, lower-cost source of animals for the Support Canine Program while also helping morale and operational support inside the agency. A pilot lets CBP test the idea before deciding whether it is worth expanding.
- Animal shelters Shelters may see this as a chance to place dogs that could be well suited for training and public service. The program could also bring attention to shelter adoption and create a constructive federal partnership.
- Animal-welfare advocates Advocates for shelter animals may like that the bill creates a formal pathway for rescued dogs to get trained for useful work rather than remaining in shelters. They may view the three-year pilot as a measured way to evaluate outcomes.
- Taxpayers concerned about program efficiency Some may question whether CBP should spend time and resources on a new pilot when the bill does not specify costs, training standards, or performance measures. They may want clearer evidence that shelter dogs will meet agency needs better than existing approaches.
- Labor and workplace-safety skeptics People concerned with agency operations may worry that adding a new animal-adoption pipeline could create administrative burdens or inconsistent training results if standards are not tightly defined. They may prefer a more detailed program design before launch.
- Budget watchdogs Even without an explicit appropriation, a new pilot can require staff time, training, transport, and oversight. Critics may argue that the bill gives too little detail about funding and accountability for a federal program that only lasts three years.
Key Implications
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““establish in CBP a pilot program to adopt dogs from local animal shelters””
CBP would be directed to create a new adoption pipeline with shelters, making local animal shelters potential sources of dogs for a federal support program.
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““trained as support dogs for CBP's Support Canine Program””
The dogs are not just being adopted; they would be trained for a defined CBP support role, which means the program is tied to agency training and deployment needs.
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““Not later than 60 days after the date of enactment””
If enacted, the agency would have to move quickly, limiting how long DHS could take to design and launch the pilot.
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““shall terminate three years after the date of its establishment””
This is a temporary experiment, not a permanent expansion, so Congress would later need to revisit whether the pilot should continue.
Latest Status
June 18, 2026
Referred to the House Committee on Homeland Security.
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Ask AI about this billData sourced from api.congress.gov.