[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6064 Enrolled Bill (ENR)]

        H.R.6064

                    One Hundred Seventeenth Congress

                                 of the

                        United States of America


                          AT THE SECOND SESSION

           Begun and held at the City of Washington on Monday,
          the third day of January, two thousand and twenty-two


                                 An Act


 
  To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to seek to enter into an 
  agreement with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and 
 Medicine for a review of examinations, furnished by the Secretary, to 
 individuals who submit claims to the Secretary for compensation under 
  chapter 11 of title 38, United States Code, for mental and physical 
              conditions linked to military sexual trauma.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. INDEPENDENT REVIEW OF ASSESSMENTS BY THE SECRETARY OF 
VETERANS AFFAIRS OF MENTAL AND PHYSICAL CONDITIONS LINKED TO MILITARY 
SEXUAL TRAUMA FOR PURPOSES OF AWARDING DISABILITY COMPENSATION.
    (a) Agreement.--Not later than 90 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall seek to 
enter into an agreement with the National Academies of Sciences, 
Engineering, and Medicine (in this Act referred to as the ``National 
Academies'') to perform the services covered by this section.
    (b) Comprehensive Review.--Under an agreement between the Secretary 
and the National Academies under this section, the National Academies 
shall conduct a comprehensive review of examinations, furnished by the 
Secretary to individuals who submit claims to the Secretary for 
compensation under chapter 11 of title 38, United States Code, for 
mental and physical conditions linked to military sexual trauma (in 
this Act referred to as ``MST''), for the purpose of assessing the 
impairments of such individuals arising from MST. The review carried 
out pursuant to paragraph (1) shall include the following elements:
        (1) A determination of the adequacy of tools and protocols used 
    by the Secretary to provide examinations described in this 
    subsection, including--
            (A) the Disability Benefits Questionnaires;
            (B) the Department's schedule of rating disabilities;
            (C) consideration of whether certain conditions linked to 
        MST should require referral for both a mental health 
        examination and a physical health examination; and
            (D) the necessity of internal pelvic examinations to 
        diagnose certain conditions linked to MST, and whether 
        alternatives to such examinations could be considered if a 
        veteran objects to or cannot complete such examination.
        (2) A determination of what credentials and training are 
    necessary for a health care specialist or provider to perform such 
    examinations related to physical conditions linked to MST, for men 
    and for women, including--
            (A) sexual dysfunction;
            (B) pelvic pain;
            (C) pelvic dysfunction;
            (D) musculoskeletal disabilities; and
            (E) cardiovascular conditions (including stroke).
        (3) A determination of what credentials and training are 
    necessary for a health care specialist or provider to perform such 
    examinations related to mental health conditions linked to MST, for 
    men and for women.
        (4) An assessment of the quality of MST training for 
    individuals who perform such examinations, including 
    recommendations for improvements to such training.
    (c) Reports.--
        (1) Report of the national academies.--Not later than 540 days 
    after the date on which the Secretary enters into an agreement 
    under subsection (a), the National Academies shall submit to the 
    Committees on Veterans' Affairs of the Senate and House of 
    Representatives a report on the comprehensive review conducted 
    under subsection (b). Such report shall include the following 
    elements:
            (A) The findings of the National Academies under subsection 
        (b).
            (B) Recommendations of the National Academies regarding 
        legislative or administrative action to improve of the 
        adjudication of claims described in subsection (b).
        (2) Report of the secretary.--Not later than 90 days after 
    submission of the report under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall 
    submit to the Committees on Veterans' Affairs of the House of 
    Representatives and the Senate a report on the plans of the 
    Secretary to carry out any action based on the findings and 
    recommendations of the National Academies.

                               Speaker of the House of Representatives.

                            Vice President of the United States and    
                                               President of the Senate.