[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 8879 Introduced in House (IH)]
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118th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 8879
To amend title 38, United States Code, to improve claims, made under
laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, regarding
military sexual trauma, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
June 28, 2024
Mrs. Kim of California (for herself and Ms. Budzinski) introduced the
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans'
Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend title 38, United States Code, to improve claims, made under
laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, regarding
military sexual trauma, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Improving VA Training for Military
Sexual Trauma Claims Act''.
SEC. 2. IMPROVEMENT OF CLAIMS BASED ON MILITARY SEXUAL TRAUMA UNDER
LAWS ADMINISTERED BY THE SECRETARY OF VETERANS AFFAIRS.
(a) Training for Employees Who Process Such Claims.--
(1) In general.--Subsection (c) of section 1166 of title
38, United States Code, is amended--
(A) in paragraph (1), by striking ``members of
teams established under subsection (a) are trained''
and inserting ``each employee of the Department who
processes such a claim, communicates with a claimant
regarding evidence supporting such a claim, or decides
such a claim, receives annual sensitivity training and
training''; and
(B) by adding at the end the following new
paragraph:
``(4) The Secretary shall update training under this subsection not
less than once annually.''.
(2) Report.--Not later than 90 days after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall
submit to the Committees on Veterans' Affairs of the Senate and
House of Representatives a report regarding--
(A) training provided under such subsection before
such date; and
(B) plans of the Secretary to carry out the
amendments made by paragraph (1).
(b) Expansion of Duty To Assist in Obtaining Records for a
Compensation Claim.--Section 5103A(c) of title 38, United States Code,
is amended--
(1) by redesignating paragraph (2) as paragraph (3); and
(2) by inserting, after paragraph (1), the following new
paragraph (2):
``(2) In the case of a claim under section 1166 of this title, the
assistance provided by the Secretary under this section shall include
obtaining the service personnel record and service medical record of
the claimant.''.
(c) Sensitivity Training for Certain Contracted Health Care
Professionals: Report; Improvements.--Not later than 90 days after the
date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs
shall submit to the Committees on Veterans' Affairs of the Senate and
House of Representatives a report on--
(1) sensitivity training required for health care
professionals, contracted under section 504 of the Veterans'
Benefits Improvements Act of 1996 (Public Law 104-275; 38
U.S.C. 5101 note), to perform examinations of veterans who make
claims under section 1166 of title 38, United States Code; and
(2) the plan of the Secretary to--
(A) improve such sensitivity training; and
(B) ensure that a veteran who makes such a claim is
not retraumatized during such an examination by such a
contracted health care professional.
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