[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2717 Introduced in House (IH)]
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119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 2717
To direct the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Veterans
Affairs to take certain steps regarding research related to menopause,
perimenopause, or mid-life women's health, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
April 8, 2025
Ms. Houlahan (for herself and Mrs. Bice) introduced the following bill;
which was referred to the Committee on Armed Services, and in addition
to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, for a period to be subsequently
determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such
provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To direct the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Veterans
Affairs to take certain steps regarding research related to menopause,
perimenopause, or mid-life women's health, 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 ``Servicewomen and Veterans Menopause
Research Act''.
SEC. 2. EVALUATION OF CERTAIN RESEARCH RELATED TO MENOPAUSE,
PERIMENOPAUSE, OR MID-LIFE WOMEN'S HEALTH.
(a) In General.--The Secretary of Defense, in coordination with
Secretary of Veterans Affairs, shall evaluate--
(1) the results of completed research related to menopause,
perimenopause, or mid-life women's health among women who are
members of the Armed Forces or veterans;
(2) the status of such research that is ongoing;
(3) any gaps in knowledge and research on--
(A) treatments, including hormone and non-hormone
treatments, for menopause-related symptoms;
(B) the safety and effectiveness of treatments for
menopause-related symptoms;
(C) the relation of service in the Armed Forces to
perimenopause and menopause and the impact of such
service on perimenopause and menopause;
(D) the effect of combat roles on symptoms relating
to perimenopause and menopause, including exposure to
burn pits, toxic chemicals, and PFAS; and
(E) the impact of perimenopause and menopause on
the mental health of women who are members of the Armed
Forces or veterans;
(4) the availability of and uptake of professional training
resources for covered providers relating to mid-life women's
health with respect to the care, treatment, and management of
perimenopause and menopausal symptoms, and related support
services; and
(5) the availability of and uptake of treatments for women
who are members of the Armed Forces or veterans who are
experiencing perimenopause or menopause.
(b) Report; Strategic Plan.--Not later than 180 days after the date
of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense and the
Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall each submit to Congress a report
containing--
(1) the findings of the evaluation conducted under
subsection (a);
(2) recommendations for improving professional training
resources described in subsection (a)(4) for covered providers;
and
(3) a strategic plan that--
(A) resolves the gaps in knowledge and research
identified in the report; and
(B) identifies topics in need of further research
relating to potential treatments for menopause-related
symptoms of women who are members of the Armed Forces
or veterans.
(c) Nonduplication and Supplementation of Efforts.--In carrying out
activities under this section, the Secretary of Defense and the
Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall ensure that such activities
supplement, and minimize the duplication of, existing efforts of the
Secretary of Health and Human Services to share information regarding
matters described in subsection (a).
(d) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) The term ``covered provider'' means a health care
provider who is an employee of the Department of Defense or the
Department of Veterans Affairs.
(2) The term ``menopause''--
(A) means the stage of a woman's life when
menstruation stops permanently and she can no longer
get pregnant; and
(B) is not a disease state, but a normal part of
aging for women.
(3) The term ``mid-life'' means a life stage for a woman
that--
(A) coincides with perimenopause, which may be
physical or emotional;
(B) encompasses the late reproductive age, which
can begin at approximately 35 years of age, to late
postmenopausal stages, which can extend to
approximately 65 years of age, of reproductive aging;
and
(C) often marks the onset of many chronic diseases.
(4) The term ``perimenopause''--
(A) mean the time when levels of the hormone
estrogen fall unevenly in a woman's body; and
(B) is also called the menopausal transition.
(5) The term ``PFAS'' means perfluoroalkyl and
polyfluoroalkyl substances.
(6) The term ``postmenopausal'' means a period--
(A) that begins after a woman has not menstruated
for 12 months and lasts thereafter for the rest of the
woman's life; and
(B) during which a woman is at increased risk for
osteoporosis and heart disease.
SEC. 3. SENSE OF CONGRESS ON ADDITIONAL RESEARCH RELATED TO MENOPAUSE,
PERIMENOPAUSE, OR MID-LIFE WOMEN'S HEALTH.
It is the sense of Congress that the Secretary of Defense and the
Secretary of Veterans Affairs should each conduct research related to
menopause, perimenopause, or mid-life health regarding women who are
members of the Armed Forces or veterans.
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