In short, Government agencies are not subject to the Americans with Disabilities Act. However, they do follow the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Section 504 is the one that pertains to us with service animals, which it really does not. It simply prohibits discrimination against those with disabilities. If you would like to look over Section 504 I have added it to our resource area HERE.
I specifically put the Veterans Administration as part of the title simply because they are the ones, I have the most experience with. Years ago, right after the ADA accepted psychological service dogs to fall within their guidelines the VA (as a whole) refused to allow PSDs into a lot of their facilities. They were not bound by law to do so as they would argue if a veteran came into a facility, they have the care that they would need which would negate the need for their service dog, also they would use the other patient's health problems (allergies and such) to further the reasoning. Please understand this I am "nut-shelling" this. There were clinics/hospitals that would allow PSDs', but from my experience, they were in the minority.
For even more movement within the VA, a study came out about service dogs in about 2019 that really showed the positives about service dogs. It was done by Purdue University which appears to have really opened the eyes of the veterans' administration. Along with some political help for lawmakers the VA is actually starting to provide service dogs to veterans in need through the PAWS ACT that was started in 2022.
So, in closing, it is important to remember that federal agencies are not under the ADA most do try to mirror the same guidelines. It is important to remember this as they can be different than what we as handlers come to accept as cannon may not be in some federal settings here in the United States.
