II 

117TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 4441 

To amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Veterans 

Affairs to provide for peer support specialists for claimants who are 

survivors of military sexual trauma, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JUNE 22, 2022 

Ms. CORTEZ MASTO (for herself, Mr. BOOZMAN, and Mr. BLUMENTHAL) 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 direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to provide for peer support 

specialists for claimants who are survivors of military 

sexual trauma, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. IMPROVEMENTS TO THE PROCESSING OF 

4 CLAIMS BY VETERANS FOR COMPENSATION 

5 FOR CERTAIN MENTAL HEALTH CONDITIONS 

6 BASED ON MILITARY SEXUAL TRAUMA. 

7 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 1166 of title 38, United 

8 States Code, is amended— 


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•S 4441 IS

1 (1) by striking ‘‘or air service’’ both places it 

2 appears and inserting ‘‘air, or space service’’; 

3 (2) in subsection (a)— 

4 (A) in the heading, by striking ‘‘IN GEN5 ERAL’’ and inserting ‘‘PROCESSING’’; 

6 (B) by inserting ‘‘(1)’’ before ‘‘The Sec7 retary’’; and 

8 (C) by adding at the end the following new 

9 paragraphs: 

10 ‘‘(2) A peer support specialist of the Department— 

11 ‘‘(A) shall not be responsible for providing any 

12 assistance to a veteran regarding a claim described 

13 in paragraph (1), other than counseling services, 

14 guidance, and support, pursuant to duties deter15 mined by the Under Secretary for Health; and 

16 ‘‘(B) shall not participate in the adjudication of 

17 such a claim.’’; 

18 (3) by redesignating subsections (b) and (c) as 

19 subsections (c) and (d), respectively; 

20 (4) by inserting, after subsection (a), the fol21 lowing new subsection (b): 

22 ‘‘(b) REFERRALS TO MST COORDINATORS.—The 

23 Secretary shall include, in forms for claims described in 

24 subsection (a), an option for a veteran to elect to be re25 ferred to a military sexual trauma coordinator of the VetVerDate Sep 11 2014 03:11 Jun 28, 2022 Jkt 029200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S4441.IS S4441

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1 erans Health Administration at the facility of the Depart2 ment nearest to the residence of such veteran.’’; and 

3 (5) in subsection (c), as redesignated— 

4 (A) by inserting ‘‘(1)’’ before ‘‘The Sec5 retary’’; and 

6 (B) by adding at the end the following new 

7 paragraphs: 

8 ‘‘(2) The Secretary shall ensure that peer support 

9 specialists of the Department receive annual training on 

10 how to provide peer support regarding military sexual 

11 trauma. 

12 ‘‘(3) The Secretary shall provide annual training, re13 garding the processing of claims described in subsection 

14 (a), to the following individuals: 

15 ‘‘(A) Military sexual trauma coordinators of the 

16 Veterans Health Administration. 

17 ‘‘(B) Peer support specialists of the Depart18 ment.’’; 

19 (b) CLERICAL AMENDMENTS.— 

20 (1) SECTION HEADING.—The heading of such 

21 section is amended by striking ‘‘Specialized 

22 teams to evaluate claims’’ and inserting 

23 ‘‘Claims’’. 

24 (2) TABLE OF SECTIONS.—The table of sections 

25 at the beginning of chapter 11 of such title is 


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1 amended by striking the item relating to section 

2 1166 and inserting the following: 

‘‘1166. Claims involving military sexual trauma.’’. 

Æ 


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