II 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 1315 

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 SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

MAY 2, 2019 

Mr. DURBIN (for himself, Mr. MURPHY, Ms. DUCKWORTH, Mr. BLUMENTHAL, 

Mr. CASEY, Mr. PETERS, Ms. KLOBUCHAR, and Mr. COONS) introduced 

the following bill; which was read twice and 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 a partner15 ship with a medical center or clinic administered by 

16 the Department of Veterans Affairs or a facility ad17 ministered by the Department of Defense, including 

18 by providing clinical rotations at such medical cen19 ter, 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 90 days after 

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


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1 frequently than annually thereafter for two years, 

2 the Secretary shall issue a request for proposals 

3 from eligible institutions for grants under this sec4 tion. 

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 a partnership described 

13 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. 

14 (F) Funding faculty research projects or 

15 faculty time to undertake research in the areas 

16 of orthotics and prosthetics for the purpose of 

17 furthering their teaching abilities. 

18 (G) Renovation of buildings or minor con19 struction to house orthotics and prosthetics 

20 education programs. 

21 (H) Purchasing equipment for orthotics 

22 and prosthetics education. 

23 (2) LIMITATION ON CONSTRUCTION.—An eligi24 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) PERIOD OF USE OF FUNDS.—An eligible in9 stitution awarded a grant under this section may use 

10 the grant amount for a period of three years after 

11 the award of the grant. 

12 (d) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

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

14 educational institution that offers an orthotics and 

15 prosthetics education program that— 

16 (A) is accredited by the National Commis17 sion on Orthotic and Prosthetic Education in 

18 cooperation with the Commission on Accredita19 tion of Allied Health Education Programs; or 

20 (B) demonstrates an ability to meet the ac21 creditation requirements for orthotic and pros22 thetic education from the National Commission 

23 on Orthotic and Prosthetic Education in co24 operation with the Commission on Accreditation 


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1 of Allied Health Education Programs if the in2 stitution receives a grant under this section. 

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

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

5 Code. 

6 (e) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.— 

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

8 appropriated for fiscal year 2020 for the Depart9 ment of Veterans Affairs, $15,000,000 to carry out 

10 this section. The amount so authorized to be appro11 priated shall remain available for obligation until 

12 September 30, 2022. 

13 (2) UNOBLIGATED AMOUNTS TO BE RETURNED

14 TO THE TREASURY.—Any amounts authorized to be 

15 appropriated by paragraph (1) that are not obligated 

16 by the Secretary as of September 30, 2022, shall be 

17 returned to the Treasury of the United States. 

18 SEC. 3. CENTER OF EXCELLENCE IN ORTHOTIC AND PROS19 THETIC EDUCATION. 

20 (a) GRANT FOR ESTABLISHMENT OF CENTER.— 

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

22 Affairs shall award a grant to an eligible institution 

23 to enable the eligible institution— 


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1 (A) to establish the Center of Excellence in 

2 Orthotic and Prosthetic Education (in this sec3 tion referred to as the ‘‘Center’’); and 

4 (B) to enable the eligible institution to im5 prove orthotic and prosthetic outcomes for vet6 erans, members of the Armed Forces, and civil7 ians by conducting evidence-based research 

8 on— 

9 (i) the knowledge, skills, and training 

10 most needed by clinical professionals in the 

11 field of orthotics and prosthetics; and 

12 (ii) how to most effectively prepare 

13 clinical professionals to provide effective, 

14 high-quality orthotic and prosthetic care. 

15 (2) PRIORITY.—The Secretary shall give pri16 ority in the award of a grant under this section to 

17 an eligible institution that has in force, or dem18 onstrates the willingness and ability to enter into, a 

19 memoranda of understanding with the Department 

20 of Veterans Affairs, the Department of Defense, or 

21 other appropriate Federal agency, or a cooperative 

22 agreement with an appropriate private sector entity, 

23 which memorandum of understanding or cooperative 

24 agreement provides for either, or both, of the fol25 lowing: 


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1 (A) The provision of resources, whether in 

2 cash or in-kind, to the Center. 

3 (B) Assistance to the Center in conducting 

4 research and disseminating the results of such 

5 research. 

6 (3) GRANT AMOUNT.—The grant awarded 

7 under this section shall be in the amount of 

8 $5,000,000. 

9 (b) REQUESTS FOR PROPOSALS.— 

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

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

12 shall issue a request for proposals from eligible insti13 tutions for the grant under this section. 

14 (2) PROPOSALS.—An eligible institution that 

15 seeks the award of the grant under this section shall 

16 submit an application therefor to the Secretary at 

17 such time, in such manner, and accompanied by 

18 such information as the Secretary may require. 

19 (c) GRANT USES.— 

20 (1) IN GENERAL.—The eligible institution 

21 awarded the grant under this section shall use the 

22 grant amount as follows: 

23 (A) To develop an agenda for orthotics and 

24 prosthetics education research. 


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1 (B) To fund research in the area of 

2 orthotics and prosthetics education. 

3 (C) To publish or otherwise disseminate 

4 research findings relating to orthotics and pros5 thetics education. 

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

7 institution awarded the grant under this section may 

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

9 the award of the grant. 

10 (d) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

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

12 educational institution that— 

13 (A) has a robust research program; 

14 (B) offers an orthotics and prosthetics 

15 education program that is accredited by the Na16 tional Commission on Orthotic and Prosthetic 

17 Education in cooperation with the Commission 

18 on Accreditation of Allied Health Education 

19 Programs; 

20 (C) is well recognized in the field of 

21 orthotics and prosthetics education; and 

22 (D) has an established association with— 

23 (i) a medical center or clinic of the 

24 Department of Veterans Affairs; and 

25 (ii) a local rehabilitation hospital. 


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

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

3 Code. 

4 (e) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 

5 authorized to be appropriated for fiscal year 2020 for the 

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

7 this section. 

Æ 


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