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[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2201 Engrossed in House (EH)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 2201
_______________________________________________________________________
AN ACT
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
paragraphs:
``(4) The Secretary shall ensure that training received by an
employee under this subsection is appropriate for how much experience
the employee has with such claims.
``(5) 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--
``(A) the service personnel record of the claimant; and
``(B) the 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 and individuals who communicate with veterans to
schedule examinations, 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.
Passed the House of Representatives May 19, 2025.
Attest:
Clerk.
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 2201
_______________________________________________________________________
AN ACT
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.