I 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 3036 

To improve the provision of health care to women veterans by the Secretary 

of Veterans Affairs. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MAY 28, 2019 

Mr. ROSE of New York introduced the following bill; which was referred to 

the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

A BILL 

To improve the provision of health care to women veterans 

by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs. 

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 ‘‘Breaking Barriers for 

5 Women Veterans Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. WOMEN VETERANS RETROFIT INITIATIVE. 

7 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Veterans Affairs 

8 shall retrofit existing medical facilities of the Department 

9 of Veterans Affairs with fixtures, materials, and other outVerDate Sep 11 2014 03:05 Jun 08, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3036.IH H3036

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1 fitting measures to support the provision of care to women 

2 veterans at such facilities. 

3 (b) PLAN.—Not later than 180 days after the date 

4 of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit 

5 to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate and 

6 the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the House of Rep7 resentatives a plan to address deficiencies in environment 

8 of care for women veterans at medical facilities of the De9 partment. 

10 (c) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 

11 authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary 

12 $20,000,000 to carry out subsection (a) in addition to 

13 amounts otherwise made available to the Secretary for the 

14 purposes set forth in such subsection. 

15 SEC. 3. STAFFING OF WOMEN’S HEALTH PRIMARY CARE 

16 PROVIDERS AT MEDICAL FACILITIES OF THE 

17 DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS. 

18 The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall ensure that 

19 each medical facility of the Department of Veterans Af20 fairs has not fewer than one full-time or part-time wom21 en’s health primary care provider whose duties include, to 

22 the extent possible, providing training to other health care 

23 providers of the Department on the needs of women vet24 erans. 


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1 SEC. 4. ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR PRIMARY CARE AND 

2 EMERGENCY CARE CLINICIANS IN WOMEN 

3 VETERANS HEALTH CARE MINI-RESIDENCY 

4 PROGRAM. 

5 (a) IN GENERAL.—There is authorized to be appro6 priated to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs $1,000,000 

7 for each fiscal year for the Women Veterans Health Care 

8 Mini-Residency Program of the Department of Veterans 

9 Affairs to provide opportunities for participation in such 

10 program for primary care and emergency care clinicians. 

11 (b) TREATMENT OF AMOUNTS.—The amounts au12 thorized to be appropriated under subsection (a) shall be 

13 in addition to amounts otherwise made available to the 

14 Secretary for the purposes set forth in such subsection. 

15 SEC. 5. ESTABLISHMENT OF WOMEN VETERAN TRAINING 

16 MODULE FOR NON-DEPARTMENT OF VET17 ERANS AFFAIRS HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS. 

18 (a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than one year after the 

19 date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Vet20 erans Affairs shall establish and make available to commu21 nity providers a training module that is specific to women 

22 veterans. 

23 (b) COMMUNITY PROVIDER DEFINED.—In this sec24 tion, the term ‘‘community provider’’ means a non-Depart25 ment of Veterans Affairs health care provider who proVerDate Sep 11 2014 03:05 Jun 08, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3036.IH H3036

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1 vides health care to veterans under the laws administered 

2 by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs. 

3 SEC. 6. STUDY ON STAFFING OF WOMEN VETERAN PRO4 GRAM MANAGER PROGRAM AT MEDICAL 

5 CENTERS OF THE DEPARTMENT OF VET6 ERANS AFFAIRS AND TRAINING OF STAFF. 

7 (a) STUDY.—The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall 

8 conduct a study on the use of the Women Veteran Pro9 gram Manager program of the Department of Veterans 

10 Affairs to determine— 

11 (1) if the program is appropriately staffed at 

12 each medical center of the Department; 

13 (2) whether each medical center of the Depart14 ment is staffed with a Women Veteran Program 

15 Manager; and 

16 (3) whether it would be feasible and advisable 

17 to have a Women Veteran Program Ombudsman at 

18 each medical center of the Department. 

19 (b) REPORT.—Not later than 270 days after the date 

20 of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit 

21 to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate and 

22 the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the House of Rep23 resentatives a report on the study conducted under sub24 section (a). 


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1 (c) TRAINING.—The Secretary shall ensure that all 

2 Women Veteran Program Managers and Women Veteran 

3 Program Ombudsmen receive the proper training to carry 

4 out their duties. 

Æ 


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