[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 514 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
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116th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 514
To amend title 38, United States Code, to improve the benefits and
services provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs to women
veterans, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
February 14, 2019
Mr. Tester (for himself, Mr. Boozman, Mrs. Capito, Mrs. Blackburn, Ms.
Stabenow, Mr. Schatz, Ms. Sinema, Ms. Warren, Mr. Menendez, Ms. Hassan,
Mr. Reed, Mr. Whitehouse, Ms. Baldwin, Ms. Duckworth, Mr. Blumenthal,
Mrs. Shaheen, Mrs. Murray, Ms. Cortez Masto, Mr. Van Hollen, Ms.
Harris, Mrs. Gillibrand, Mr. Merkley, Mr. Booker, Mr. Casey, Mr. Brown,
Mr. Peters, and Mrs. Feinstein) introduced the following bill; which
was read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend title 38, United States Code, to improve the benefits and
services provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs to women
veterans, 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; TABLE OF CONTENTS.
(a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``Deborah Sampson
Act''.
(b) Table of Contents.--The table of contents for this Act is as
follows:
Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents.
TITLE I--READJUSTMENT AND RELATED ASSISTANCE
Sec. 101. Provision of reintegration and readjustment services to
veterans and family members in group
retreat settings.
Sec. 102. Expansion of capabilities of Women Veterans Call Center to
include text messaging.
TITLE II--LEGAL AND SUPPORTIVE SERVICES
Sec. 201. Department of Veterans Affairs public-private partnership on
legal services for women veterans.
Sec. 202. Additional amount for Supportive Services for Veteran
Families grant program to support
organizations that have a focus on
providing assistance to women veterans and
their families.
Sec. 203. Gap analysis of Department of Veterans Affairs programs that
provide assistance to women veterans who
are homeless.
TITLE III--NEWBORN CARE
Sec. 301. Extension of period of eligibility for care for newborn
children from the Department of Veterans
Affairs.
TITLE IV--ELIMINATING BARRIERS TO ACCESS
Sec. 401. Women Veterans Retrofit Initiative.
Sec. 402. Staffing of women's health primary care providers at medical
facilities of the Department of Veterans
Affairs.
Sec. 403. Additional funding for primary care and emergency care
clinicians in Women Veterans Health Care
Mini-Residency Program.
Sec. 404. Establishment of women veteran training module for non-
Department of Veterans Affairs health care
providers.
Sec. 405. Study on staffing of Women Veteran Program Manager program at
medical centers of the Department of
Veterans Affairs and training of staff.
TITLE V--DATA COLLECTION AND REPORTING
Sec. 501. Requirement for collection and analysis of data on Department
of Veterans Affairs benefits and services
and disaggregation of such data by sex and
minority status.
Sec. 502. Report on availability of prosthetics for women veterans from
the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Sec. 503. Requirement for Department of Veterans Affairs internet
website to provide information on services
available to women veterans.
Sec. 504. Report on locations where women veterans are using health
care from Department of Veterans Affairs.
Sec. 505. Report on models of medical facilities of Department of
Veterans Affairs for the treatment of
women.
Sec. 506. Report on staffing of Department of Veterans relating to the
treatment of women.
TITLE I--READJUSTMENT AND RELATED ASSISTANCE
SEC. 101. PROVISION OF REINTEGRATION AND READJUSTMENT SERVICES TO
VETERANS AND FAMILY MEMBERS IN GROUP RETREAT SETTINGS.
(a) In General.--Section 1712A of title 38, United States Code, is
amended--
(1) in subsection (a)(1)(B)--
(A) in clause (ii), by redesignating subclauses (I)
and (II) as items (aa) and (bb);
(B) by redesignating clauses (i) and (ii) as
subclauses (I) and (II);
(C) in the matter preceding subclause (I), as
redesignated by subparagraph (B), by striking
``Counseling'' and inserting ``(i) Counseling''; and
(D) by adding at the end the following new clause:
``(ii)(I) Except as provided in subclause (IV), counseling
furnished to an individual under subparagraph (A) may include
reintegration and readjustment services described in subclause (II)
furnished in group retreat settings.
``(II) Reintegration and readjustment services described in this
subclause are the following:
``(aa) Information on reintegration of the individual into
family, employment, and community.
``(bb) Financial counseling.
``(cc) Occupational counseling.
``(dd) Information and counseling on stress reduction.
``(ee) Information and counseling on conflict resolution.
``(ff) Such other information and counseling as the
Secretary considers appropriate to assist the individual in
reintegration into family, employment, and community.
``(III) In furnishing reintegration and readjustment services under
subclause (I), the Secretary shall offer women the opportunity to
receive such services in group retreat settings in which the only
participants are women.
``(IV) An individual referred to in subparagraph (C)(v) may receive
reintegration and readjustment services under subclause (I) only if the
individual receives such services with a family member described in
subclause (I) or (II) of such subparagraph.''.
(b) Request for Services.--Subsection (a)(2) of such section is
amended--
(1) by striking ``Upon'' and inserting ``(A) Upon'';
(2) by striking ``paragraph (1)(B)'' and inserting
``paragraph (1)(B)(i)''; and
(3) by adding at the end the following new subparagraph:
``(B) Upon the request of an individual described in paragraph
(1)(C), the Secretary shall furnish the individual reintegration and
readjustment services in group retreat settings under paragraph
(1)(B)(ii).''.
SEC. 102. EXPANSION OF CAPABILITIES OF WOMEN VETERANS CALL CENTER TO
INCLUDE TEXT MESSAGING.
The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall expand the capabilities of
the Women Veterans Call Center of the Department of Veterans Affairs to
include a text messaging capability.
TITLE II--LEGAL AND SUPPORTIVE SERVICES
SEC. 201. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP ON
LEGAL SERVICES FOR WOMEN VETERANS.
(a) Partnership Required.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall
establish a partnership with at least one nongovernmental organization
to provide legal services to women veterans.
(b) Focus.--The focus of the partnership established under
subsection (a) shall be on the 10 highest unmet needs of women veterans
as set forth in the most recently completed Community Homelessness
Assessment, Local Education and Networking Groups for Veterans (CHALENG
for Veterans) survey.
SEC. 202. ADDITIONAL AMOUNT FOR SUPPORTIVE SERVICES FOR VETERAN
FAMILIES GRANT PROGRAM TO SUPPORT ORGANIZATIONS THAT HAVE
A FOCUS ON PROVIDING ASSISTANCE TO WOMEN VETERANS AND
THEIR FAMILIES.
Section 2044(e) of title 38, United States Code, is amended--
(1) in paragraph (1), by adding at the end the following
new subparagraph:
``(F) $400,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2020 through
2022.''; and
(2) by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
``(4) Not less than $20,000,000 shall be available under paragraph
(1)(H) for the provision of financial assistance under subsection (a)
to organizations that have a focus on providing assistance to women
veterans and their families.''.
SEC. 203. GAP ANALYSIS OF DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS PROGRAMS THAT
PROVIDE ASSISTANCE TO WOMEN VETERANS WHO ARE HOMELESS.
(a) In General.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall complete
an analysis of programs of the Department of Veterans Affairs that
provide assistance to women veterans who are homeless or precariously
housed to identify the areas in which such programs are failing to meet
the needs of such women.
(b) Report.--Not later than 270 days after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on
Veterans' Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on Veterans' Affairs
of the House of Representatives a report on the analysis completed
under subsection (a).
TITLE III--NEWBORN CARE
SEC. 301. EXTENSION OF PERIOD OF ELIGIBILITY FOR CARE FOR NEWBORN
CHILDREN FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS.
Section 1786(a) of title 38, United States Code, is amended, in the
matter preceding paragraph (1), by striking ``seven days'' and
inserting ``14 days''.
TITLE IV--ELIMINATING BARRIERS TO ACCESS
SEC. 401. WOMEN VETERANS RETROFIT INITIATIVE.
(a) In General.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall retrofit
existing medical facilities of the Department of Veterans Affairs with
fixtures, materials, and other outfitting measures to support the
provision of care to women veterans at such facilities.
(b) Plan.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment
of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Veterans'
Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the
House of Representatives a plan to address deficiencies in environment
of care for women veterans at medical facilities of the Department.
(c) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be
appropriated to the Secretary $20,000,000 to carry out subsection (a)
in addition to amounts otherwise made available to the Secretary for
the purposes set forth in such subsection.
SEC. 402. STAFFING OF WOMEN'S HEALTH PRIMARY CARE PROVIDERS AT MEDICAL
FACILITIES OF THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS.
The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall ensure that each medical
facility of the Department of Veterans Affairs has not fewer than one
full-time or part-time women's health primary care provider whose
duties include, to the extent possible, providing training to other
health care providers of the Department on the needs of women veterans.
SEC. 403. ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR PRIMARY CARE AND EMERGENCY CARE
CLINICIANS IN WOMEN VETERANS HEALTH CARE MINI-RESIDENCY
PROGRAM.
(a) In General.--There is authorized to be appropriated to the
Secretary of Veterans Affairs $1,000,000 for each fiscal year for the
Women Veterans Health Care Mini-Residency Program of the Department of
Veterans Affairs to provide opportunities for participation in such
program for primary care and emergency care clinicians.
(b) Treatment of Amounts.--The amounts authorized to be
appropriated under subsection (a) shall be in addition to amounts
otherwise made available to the Secretary for the purposes set forth in
such subsection.
SEC. 404. ESTABLISHMENT OF WOMEN VETERAN TRAINING MODULE FOR NON-
DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS.
(a) In General.--Not later than one year after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall
establish and make available to community providers a training module
that is specific to women veterans.
(b) Community Provider Defined.--In this section, the term
``community provider'' means a non-Department of Veterans Affairs
health care provider who provides health care to veterans under the
laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs.
SEC. 405. STUDY ON STAFFING OF WOMEN VETERAN PROGRAM MANAGER PROGRAM AT
MEDICAL CENTERS OF THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS AND
TRAINING OF STAFF.
(a) Study.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall conduct a study
on the use of the Women Veteran Program Manager program of the
Department of Veterans Affairs to determine--
(1) if the program is appropriately staffed at each medical
center of the Department;
(2) whether each medical center of the Department is
staffed with a Women Veteran Program Manager; and
(3) whether it would be feasible and advisable to have a
Women Veteran Program Ombudsman at each medical center of the
Department.
(b) Report.--Not later than 270 days after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on
Veterans' Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on Veterans' Affairs
of the House of Representatives a report on the study conducted under
subsection (a).
(c) Training.--The Secretary shall ensure that all Women Veteran
Program Managers and Women Veteran Program Ombudsmen receive the proper
training to carry out their duties.
TITLE V--DATA COLLECTION AND REPORTING
SEC. 501. REQUIREMENT FOR COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS OF DATA ON DEPARTMENT
OF VETERANS AFFAIRS BENEFITS AND SERVICES AND
DISAGGREGATION OF SUCH DATA BY SEX AND MINORITY STATUS.
The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall--
(1) collect and analyze data on each program of the
Department of Veterans Affairs that provides a service or
benefit to a veteran, including the program carried out under
section 1144 of title 10, United States Code;
(2) disaggregate such data by sex and minority status, when
the data lends itself to such disaggregation; and
(3) publish the data collected and analyzed under paragraph
(1), except for such cases in which the Secretary determines
that some portions of the data would undermine the anonymity of
a veteran.
SEC. 502. REPORT ON AVAILABILITY OF PROSTHETICS FOR WOMEN VETERANS FROM
THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS.
Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this
Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall submit to the Committee on
Veterans' Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on Veterans' Affairs
of the House of Representatives a report on the availability from the
Department of Veterans Affairs of prosthetics made for women veterans,
including an assessment of the availability of such prosthetics at each
medical facility of the Department.
SEC. 503. REQUIREMENT FOR DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS INTERNET
WEBSITE TO PROVIDE INFORMATION ON SERVICES AVAILABLE TO
WOMEN VETERANS.
(a) In General.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall survey the
internet websites and information resources of the Department of
Veterans Affairs in effect on the day before the date of the enactment
of this Act and publish an internet website that serves as a
centralized source for the provision to women veterans of information
about the benefits and services available to them under laws
administered by the Secretary.
(b) Elements.--The internet website published under subsection (a)
shall provide to women veterans information regarding all of the
services available in the district in which that the veteran is seeking
such services, including, with respect to each medical center and
community-based outpatient clinic in the applicable Veterans Integrated
Service Network--
(1) the name and contact information of each women's health
coordinator;
(2) a list of appropriate staff for other benefits
available from the Veterans Benefits Administration, the
National Cemetery Administration, and such other entities as
the Secretary considers appropriate; and
(3) such other information as the Secretary considers
appropriate.
(c) Updated Information.--The Secretary shall ensure that the
information described in subsection (b) that is published on the
internet website required by subsection (a) is updated not less
frequently than once every 90 days.
(d) Outreach.--In carrying out this section, the Secretary shall
ensure that the outreach conducted under section 1720F(i) of title 38,
United States Code, includes information regarding the internet website
required by subsection (a).
(e) Derivation of Funds.--Amounts used by the Secretary to carry
out this section shall be derived from amounts made available to the
Secretary to publish internet websites of the Department.
SEC. 504. REPORT ON LOCATIONS WHERE WOMEN VETERANS ARE USING HEALTH
CARE FROM DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS.
(a) In General.--Not later than 90 days after the date of the
enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter, the Secretary of
Veterans Affairs shall submit to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of
the Senate and the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the House of
Representatives a report on the use by women veterans of health care
from the Department of Veterans Affairs.
(b) Elements.--Each report required by subsection (a) shall include
the following information:
(1) The number of women veterans who reside in each State.
(2) The number of women veterans in each State who are
enrolled in the system of patient enrollment of the Department
established and operated under section 1705(a) of title 38,
United States Code.
(3) Of the women veterans who are so enrolled, the number
who have received health care under the laws administered by
the Secretary at least one time during the one-year period
preceding the submittal of the report.
(4) The number of women veterans who have been seen at each
medical facility of the Department during such year.
(5) The number of appointments that women veterans have had
at each such facility during such year.
(6) If known, an identification of the medical facility of
the Department in each Veterans Integrated Service Network with
the largest rate of increase in patient population of women
veterans as measured by the increase in unique women veteran
patient use.
(7) If known, an identification of the medical facility of
the Department in each Veterans Integrated Service Network with
the largest rate of decrease in patient population of women
veterans as measured by the decrease in unique women veterans
patient use.
SEC. 505. REPORT ON MODELS OF MEDICAL FACILITIES OF DEPARTMENT OF
VETERANS AFFAIRS FOR THE TREATMENT OF WOMEN.
(a) In General.--Not later than 90 days after the date of the
enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter, the Secretary of
Veterans Affairs shall submit to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of
the Senate and the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the House of
Representatives a report on the use by the Department of Veterans
Affairs of general primary care clinics, separate but shared spaces,
and women's health centers as models of providing health care to women
veterans.
(b) Elements.--Each report required by subsection (a) shall include
the following:
(1) The number of facilities of the Department that fall
into each model described in subsection (a), disaggregated by
Veterans Integrated Service Network and State.
(2) A description of the criteria used by the Department to
determine which such model is most appropriate for each
facility of the Department.
(3) An assessment of how the Department decides to make
investments to upgrade facilities to the next higher-level
model.
(4) A description of what, if any, plans the Department has
to upgrade facilities from the lowest-level model, general
primary care clinics, to another model.
(5) An assessment of whether any facilities could be
upgraded to the next higher-level model within planned
investments under the strategic capital investment planning
process of the Department.
(6) An assessment of whether any facilities could be
upgraded to the next higher-level model with minor
modifications to existing plans under the strategic capital
investment planning process of the Department.
(7) An assessment of whether the Department has a goal for
how many facilities should fall into each such model.
SEC. 506. REPORT ON STAFFING OF DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS RELATING TO THE
TREATMENT OF WOMEN.
(a) In General.--Not later than 90 days after the date of the
enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter, the Secretary of
Veterans Affairs shall submit to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of
the Senate and the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the House of
Representatives a report on the staffing of the Department of Veterans
Affairs relating to the treatment of women.
(b) Elements.--Each report required by subsection (a) shall include
the following, disaggregated by Veterans Integrated Service Network and
State (except with respect to paragraph (4)):
(1) The number of women's health centers.
(2) The number of patient aligned care teams of the
Department relating to women's health.
(3) The number of full- and part-time gynecologists of the
Department.
(4) The number of designated women's health care providers
of the Department, disaggregated by facility of the Department.
(5) The number of health care providers of the Department
who have completed a mini-residency for women's health care
through Women Veterans Health Care Mini-Residency Program of
the Department during the one-year period preceding the
submittal of the report, and the number that plan to
participate in such a mini-residency during the one-year period
following such date.
(6) The number of designated women's health care providers
of the Department who have sufficient female patients to retain
their competencies and proficiencies.
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