I 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 8168 

To require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to award grants to establish, 

or expand upon, master’s degree programs in orthotics and prosthetics, 

and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

APRIL 30, 2024 

Mr. CARTWRIGHT (for himself, Mr. GRIJALVA, Ms. NORTON, Mr. COHEN, Mr. 

GOTTHEIMER, Mr. MOYLAN, Mr. RUIZ, and Mr. BILIRAKIS) introduced 

the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

A BILL 

To require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to award grants 

to establish, or expand upon, master’s degree programs 

in orthotics and prosthetics, 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. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Wounded Warrior 

5 Workforce Enhancement Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. ORTHOTICS AND PROSTHETICS EDUCATION IM7 PROVEMENT. 

8 (a) GRANTS REQUIRED.— 


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1 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Veterans 

2 Affairs shall award grants to eligible institutions to 

3 enable the eligible institutions— 

4 (A) to establish a master’s degree program 

5 in orthotics and prosthetics; or 

6 (B) to expand upon an existing master’s 

7 degree program in orthotics and prosthetics, in8 cluding by admitting more students, further 

9 training faculty, expanding facilities, or increas10 ing cooperation with the Department of Vet11 erans Affairs and the Department of Defense. 

12 (2) PRIORITY.—The Secretary shall give pri13 ority in the award of grants under this section to eli14 gible institutions that have entered into an estab15 lished association with a medical center or clinic ad16 ministered by the Department of Veterans Affairs or 

17 a facility administered by the Department of De18 fense, including by providing clinical rotations at 

19 such medical center, clinic, or facility. 

20 (3) GRANT AMOUNTS.—Grants awarded under 

21 this section shall be in amounts of not less than 

22 $1,000,000 and not more than $1,500,000. 

23 (b) REQUESTS FOR PROPOSALS.— 

24 (1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days 

25 after the date of the enactment of this Act, and not 


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1 less frequently than annually thereafter for two 

2 years, the Secretary shall issue a request for pro3 posals from eligible institutions for grants under this 

4 section. 

5 (2) PROPOSALS.—An eligible institution that 

6 seeks the award of a grant under this section shall 

7 submit an application therefor to the Secretary at 

8 such time, in such manner, and accompanied by 

9 such information as the Secretary may require, in10 cluding— 

11 (A) demonstration of a willingness and 

12 ability to participate in an established associa13 tion described in subsection (a)(2); and 

14 (B) a commitment, and demonstration of 

15 an ability, to maintain an accredited orthotics 

16 and prosthetics education program after the 

17 end of the grant period. 

18 (c) GRANT USES.— 

19 (1) IN GENERAL.—An eligible institution 

20 awarded a grant under this section shall use grant 

21 amounts to carry out any of the following: 

22 (A) Building new or expanding existing 

23 orthotics and prosthetics master’s degree pro24 grams. 


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1 (B) Training doctoral candidates in fields 

2 related to orthotics and prosthetics to prepare 

3 them to instruct in orthotics and prosthetics 

4 programs. 

5 (C) Training faculty in orthotics and pros6 thetics education or related fields for the pur7 pose of instruction in orthotics and prosthetics 

8 programs. 

9 (D) Salary supplementation for faculty in 

10 orthotics and prosthetics education. 

11 (E) Financial aid that allows eligible insti12 tutions to admit additional students to study 

13 orthotics and prosthetics, with a priority given 

14 to covered veterans. 

15 (F) Funding faculty research projects or 

16 faculty time to undertake research in the areas 

17 of orthotics and prosthetics for the purpose of 

18 furthering their teaching abilities. 

19 (G) Renovation of buildings or minor con20 struction to house orthotics and prosthetics 

21 education programs. 

22 (H) Purchasing equipment for orthotics 

23 and prosthetics education. 

24 (2) LIMITATION ON CONSTRUCTION.—An eligi25 ble institution awarded a grant under this section 


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1 may use not more than 50 percent of the grant 

2 amount to carry out paragraph (1)(G). 

3 (3) ADMISSIONS PREFERENCE.—An eligible in4 stitution awarded a grant under this section shall 

5 give preference in admission to the orthotics and 

6 prosthetics master’s degree programs to veterans, to 

7 the extent practicable. 

8 (4) FINANCIAL AID PREFERENCE.—An eligible 

9 institution awarded a grant under this section shall 

10 give preference in awarding financial aid to students 

11 in the orthotics and prosthetics master’s degree pro12 grams to covered veterans. 

13 (5) PERIOD OF USE OF FUNDS.—An eligible in14 stitution awarded a grant under this section may use 

15 the grant amount for a period of three years after 

16 the award of the grant. 

17 (d) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

18 (1) The term ‘‘eligible institution’’ means an 

19 educational institution that offers an orthotics and 

20 prosthetics education program that— 

21 (A) is accredited by the Commission on 

22 Accreditation of Allied Health Education Pro23 grams in cooperation with the National Com24 mission on Orthotic and Prosthetic Education; 

25 or 


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1 (B) demonstrates an ability to meet the ac2 creditation requirements for orthotic and pros3 thetic education from the Commission on Ac4 creditation of Allied Health Education Pro5 grams in cooperation with the National Com6 mission on Orthotic and Prosthetic Education if 

7 the institution receives a grant under this sec8 tion. 

9 (2) The term ‘‘veteran’’ has the meaning given 

10 that term in section 101 of title 38, United States 

11 Code. 

12 (3) The term ‘‘covered veteran’’ means a vet13 eran with lived experience with limb loss or mobility 

14 impairment. 

15 (e) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.— 

16 (1) IN GENERAL.—There is authorized to be 

17 appropriated for fiscal year 2025 for the Depart18 ment of Veterans Affairs, $15,000,000 to carry out 

19 this section. The amount so authorized to be appro20 priated shall remain available for obligation until 

21 September 30, 2027. 

22 (2) UNOBLIGATED AMOUNTS TO BE RETURNED

23 TO THE TREASURY.—Any amounts authorized to be 

24 appropriated by paragraph (1) that are not obligated 


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1 by the Secretary as of September 30, 2027, shall be 

2 returned to the Treasury of the United States. 

3 SEC. 3. CENTER OF EXCELLENCE IN ORTHOTIC AND PROS4 THETIC EDUCATION. 

5 (a) GRANT FOR ESTABLISHMENT OF CENTER.— 

6 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Veterans 

7 Affairs shall award a grant to an eligible institution 

8 to enable the eligible institution— 

9 (A) to establish the Center of Excellence in 

10 Orthotic and Prosthetic Education (in this sec11 tion referred to as the ‘‘Center’’); and 

12 (B) to enable the eligible institution to im13 prove orthotic and prosthetic outcomes for vet14 erans, members of the Armed Forces, and civil15 ians by conducting evidence-based research 

16 on— 

17 (i) the knowledge, skills, and training 

18 most needed by clinical professionals in the 

19 field of orthotics and prosthetics; and 

20 (ii) how to most effectively prepare 

21 clinical professionals to provide effective, 

22 high-quality orthotic and prosthetic care. 

23 (2) PRIORITY.—The Secretary shall give pri24 ority in the award of a grant under this section to 

25 an eligible institution that has in force, or demVerDate Sep 11 2014 19:02 May 22, 2024 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00007 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H8168.IH H8168

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1 onstrates the willingness and ability to enter into, a 

2 memoranda of understanding with the Department 

3 of Veterans Affairs, the Department of Defense, or 

4 other appropriate Federal agency, or a cooperative 

5 agreement with an appropriate private sector entity, 

6 which memorandum of understanding or cooperative 

7 agreement provides for either, or both, of the fol8 lowing: 

9 (A) The provision of resources, whether in 

10 cash or in-kind, to the Center. 

11 (B) Assistance to the Center in conducting 

12 research and disseminating the results of such 

13 research. 

14 (3) GRANT AMOUNT.—The grant awarded 

15 under this section shall be in the amount of 

16 $5,000,000. 

17 (b) REQUESTS FOR PROPOSALS.— 

18 (1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 90 days after 

19 the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary 

20 shall issue a request for proposals from eligible insti21 tutions for the grant under this section. 

22 (2) PROPOSALS.—An eligible institution that 

23 seeks the award of the grant under this section shall 

24 submit an application therefor to the Secretary at 


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1 such time, in such manner, and accompanied by 

2 such information as the Secretary may require. 

3 (c) GRANT USES.— 

4 (1) IN GENERAL.—The eligible institution 

5 awarded the grant under this section shall use the 

6 grant amount as follows: 

7 (A) To develop an agenda for orthotics and 

8 prosthetics education research. 

9 (B) To fund research in the area of 

10 orthotics and prosthetics education. 

11 (C) To publish or otherwise disseminate 

12 research findings relating to orthotics and pros13 thetics education. 

14 (2) PERIOD OF USE OF FUNDS.—The eligible 

15 institution awarded the grant under this section may 

16 use the grant amount for a period of five years after 

17 the award of the grant. 

18 (d) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

19 (1) The term ‘‘eligible institution’’ means an 

20 educational institution that— 

21 (A) has a robust research program; 

22 (B) offers an orthotics and prosthetics 

23 education program that is accredited by the 

24 Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health 

25 Education Programs in cooperation with the 


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1 National Commission on Orthotic and Pros2 thetic Education; 

3 (C) is well recognized in the field of 

4 orthotics and prosthetics education; and 

5 (D) has an established association with— 

6 (i) a medical center or clinic of the 

7 Department of Veterans Affairs; and 

8 (ii) a local rehabilitation hospital. 

9 (2) The term ‘‘veteran’’ has the meaning given 

10 that term in section 101 of title 38, United States 

11 Code. 

12 (e) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 

13 authorized to be appropriated for fiscal year 2025 for the 

14 Department of Veterans Affairs, $5,000,000 to carry out 

15 this section. 

Æ 


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