I 

110TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 2258 

To direct the Secretary of Defense to ensure that every member of the 

Armed Forces undergoes a medical examination prior to separation or 

discharge, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MAY 9, 2007 

Mr. WELCH of Vermont 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 to ensure that every 

member of the Armed Forces undergoes a medical examination prior to separation or discharge, 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. MEDICAL EXAMINATIONS FOR MEMBERS OF 

4 THE ARMED FORCES BEFORE THEIR SEPARA5 TION OR DISCHARGE. 

6 (a) MEDICAL EXAMINATIONS REQUIRED.—The Sec7 retary of Defense shall ensure that every member of the 


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1 Armed Forces (including members of reserve components) 

2 who has served in the Global War on Terror— 

3 (1) undergoes a physical examination before the 

4 separation or discharge of the member from the 

5 Armed Forces to determine the member’s medical 

6 condition at the time of the separation or discharge; 

7 or 

8 (2) is provided reimbursement for receiving 

9 such a physical examination from a licensed physi10 cian within 45 days after separation or discharge. 

11 (b) FORM FOR MEDICAL EXAMINATION.—The Sec12 retary of Defense and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs 

13 shall ensure that the Department of Defense and the De14 partment of Veterans Affairs use the same form for med15 ical examinations of members of the Armed Forces and 

16 veterans, respectively, so that the Department of Veterans 

17 Affairs has the information it needs (without any further 

18 medical examination or validation) for making a deter19 mination with respect to a claim for disability compensa20 tion or other purposes. 

21 (c) TRANSMITTAL OF SERVICE RECORDS AND MED22 ICAL INFORMATION TO DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AF23 FAIRS.—Subsection (c) of section 1142 of title 10, United 

24 States Code, is amended to read as follows: 


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1 ‘‘(c) TRANSMITTAL OF SERVICE RECORDS AND MED2 ICAL INFORMATION TO DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AF3 FAIRS.— 

4 ‘‘(1) MEDICAL INFORMATION.—Subject to the 

5 consent of a member who is being separated or dis6 charged from the armed forces, the Secretary con7 cerned shall ensure that a copy of the member’s 

8 service medical record (including the results of any 

9 separation medical examination provided the mem10 ber or the results of the member’s appearance before 

11 a physical evaluation board) is transmitted to the 

12 Secretary of Veterans Affairs in an electronic format 

13 within 60 days of the separation or retirement. 

14 ‘‘(2) SERVICE RECORDS.—Subject to the con15 sent of a member who is being separated or dis16 charged from the armed forces, the Secretary con17 cerned also shall ensure that a copy of the member’s 

18 service record, including the member’s DD–214 dis19 charge form, is transmitted to the Secretary of Vet20 erans Affairs within 60 days of the separation or re21 tirement. To the extent practicable, the information 

22 shall be provided to the Secretary of Veterans Af23 fairs in an electronic format.’’. 

24 (d) GLOBAL WAR ON TERROR.—In this section, the 

25 term ‘‘Global War on Terror’’ means the period beginning 


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1 on September 11, 2001, and ending on the date thereafter 

2 prescribed by Presidential proclamation or by law. 

3 SEC. 2. USE OF MEDICAL EXAMINATIONS PROVIDED TO 

4 VETERANS BEFORE THEIR SEPARATION OR 

5 DISCHARGE FROM THE ARMED FORCES FOR 

6 DETERMINATION OF COMPENSATION BENE7 FITS. 

8 Section 5103A(d) of title 38, United States Code, is 

9 amended by adding at the end the following new para10 graph: 

11 ‘‘(3) The Secretary shall treat an examination pro12 vided to a veteran by the Secretary of Defense prior to 

13 such veteran’s separation or discharge from the Armed 

14 Forces as an examination provided by the Secretary under 

15 paragraph (1), and shall use the results of such an exam16 ination provided by the Secretary of Defense for purposes 

17 of making a determination with respect to a claim for dis18 ability compensation.’’. 

Æ 


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