Requires DHS to provide psychiatric service dogs to first responders, health care workers, and other frontline workers suffering from post-traumatic stress disorders due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

New Jersey Assembly Bill A3211 requires the Department of Human Services (DHS) to contract with service dog training agencies to provide psychiatric service dogs at no cost to eligible frontline workers suffering from pandemic-related PTSD. It directly affects New Jersey residents who are first responders, healthcare workers, or other frontline workers, and who have a medical certification of PTSD linked to the COVID-19 pandemic under federal disability law. Eligible individuals must apply through DHS, receive the dog at no cost, register it locally, and cover ongoing care costs, while having the option to keep the dog or return it to DHS for retraining. The bill defines PTSD broadly using DSM criteria and specifies that dogs must be trained to assist with symptoms like anxiety, flashbacks, or sensory overload. This policy creates a structured state-funded program to support mental health recovery for pandemic-exposed workers.