Ruth Moore Act of 2015

To amend title 38, United States Code, to improve the disability compensation evaluation procedure of the Secretary of Veterans Affairs for veterans with mental health conditions related to military sexual trauma, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Ruth Moore Act of 2015 2. Reports on claims for disabilities incurred or aggravated by military sexual trauma (a) Annual reports (1) In general Subchapter VI of chapter 11 1164. Reports on claims for disabilities incurred or aggravated by military sexual trauma (a) Reports Not later than December 1, 2015, and each year thereafter through 2019, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report on covered claims submitted during the previous fiscal year. (b) Elements Each report under subsection (a) shall include the following: (1) The number of covered claims submitted to or considered by the Secretary during the fiscal year covered by the report. (2) Of the covered claims listed under paragraph (1), the number and percentage of such claims— (A) submitted by each sex; (B) that were approved, including the number and percentage of such approved claims submitted by each sex; and (C) that were denied, including the number and percentage of such denied claims submitted by each sex. (3) Of the covered claims listed under paragraph (1) that were approved, the number and percentage, listed by each sex, of claims assigned to each rating percentage. (4) Of the covered claims listed under paragraph (1) that were denied— (A) the three most common reasons given by the Secretary under section 5104(b)(1) of this title for such denials; and (B) the number of denials that were based on the failure of a veteran to report for a medical examination. (5) The number of covered claims that, as of the end of the fiscal year covered by the report, are pending and, separately, the number of such claims on appeal. (6) For the fiscal year covered by the report, the average number of days that covered claims take to complete beginning on the date on which the claim is submitted. (7) A description of the training that the Secretary provides to employees of the Veterans Benefits Administration specifically with respect to covered claims, including the frequency, length, and content of such training. (c) Definitions In this section: (1) The term covered claims (2) The term covered mental health condition (3) The term military sexual trauma . (2) Clerical amendment The table of sections at the beginning of such chapter is amended by adding at the end the following new item: 1164. Reports on claims for disabilities incurred or aggravated by military sexual trauma. . (3) Initial report The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall submit to Congress an initial report described in section 1164 of title 38, United States Code, as added by paragraph (1), by not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act. Such initial report shall be in addition to the annual reports required under such section beginning in December 2015. (b) Sense of Congress It is the sense of Congress that the Secretary of Veterans Affairs should update and improve the regulations of the Department of Veterans Affairs with respect to military sexual trauma by— (1) ensuring that military sexual trauma is specified as an in-service stressor in determining the service-connection of post-traumatic stress disorder by including military sexual trauma as a stressor described in section 3.304(f)(3) of title 38, Code of Federal Regulations; and (2) recognizing the full range of physical and mental disabilities (including depression, anxiety, and other disabilities as indicated in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders published by the American Psychiatric Association) that can result from military sexual trauma. (c) Provision of information During the period beginning on the date that is 15 months after the date of the enactment of this Act and ending on the date on which the Secretary updates and improves regulations as described in subsection (b), the Secretary shall— (1) provide to each veteran who has submitted a covered claim or been treated for military sexual trauma at a medical facility of the Department with a copy of the report under subsection (a)(3) or section 1164 of title 38, United States Code, as added by subsection (a)(1), that has most recently been submitted to Congress; (2) provide on a monthly basis to each veteran who has submitted any claim for disability compensation or been treated at a medical facility of the Department information that includes— (A) the date that the Secretary plans to complete such updates and improvements to such regulations; (B) the number of covered claims that have been granted or denied during the month covered by such information; (C) a comparison to such rate of grants and denials with the rate for other claims regarding post-traumatic stress disorder; (D) the three most common reasons for such denials; (E) the average time for completion of covered claims; (F) the average time for processing covered claims at each regional office; and (G) any information the Secretary determines relevant with respect to submitting a covered claim; (3) in addition to providing to veterans the information described in paragraph (2), the Secretary shall make available on a monthly basis such information on a conspicuous location of the Internet website of the Department; and (4) submit to Congress on a monthly basis a report that includes— (A) a list of all adjudicated covered claims, including ancillary claims, during the month covered by the report; (B) the outcome with respect to each medical condition included in the claim; and (C) the reason given for any denial of such a claim. (d) Military sexual trauma defined In this section: (1) The term covered claim (2) The term military sexual trauma 3. Limitation on awards and bonuses paid to senior executive employees of Department of Veterans Affairs Section 705 of the Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act of 2014 ( Public Law 113–146 38 U.S.C. 703 , of which, during fiscal years 2016 through 2018, not more than an aggregate amount of $2,000,000 in each such fiscal year may be paid to employees of the Department of Veterans Affairs who are members of the Senior Executive Service. July 16, 2015 Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed

Summary: Ruth Moore Act of 2015 (Sec. 2) This bill directs the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to report to Congress, by December 1, 2015 and each year thereafter through 2019, on claims submitted during the previous fiscal year for disability compensation based on a covered mental health condition alleged to have been incurred or aggravated by military sexual trauma (covered claims). Each report shall include: the number of covered claims submitted or considered; the number and percentage of such claims submitted by each sex, and the number of claims approved or denied; the number and percentage, listed by each sex, of approved covered claims assigned to each rating percentage; the three most common reasons for denial of covered claims, and the number of denials based on the veteran's failure to report for a medical examination; the number of covered claims pending and the number on appeal; the average number of days that covered claims take to complete; and a description of related training provided to Veterans Benefits Administration employees. The VA shall submit to Congress an initial report within 90 days after enactment of this Act, and annual reports beginning in December 2015. It is the sense of Congress that the VA should update regulations regarding military sexual trauma by: ensuring that military sexual trauma is specified as an in-service stressor in determining the service-connection of post-traumatic stress disorder, and recognizing the full range of physical and mental disabilities (including depression, anxiety, and other disabilities as indicated in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders published by the American Psychiatric Association) that can result from military sexual trauma. For the period starting fifteen months after enactment of this Act and lasting until VA publishes updated regulations, the VA shall provide: a copy of the congressional report to each veteran who has submitted a covered claim or been treated for military sexual trauma at a VA medical facility; and monthly to each such veteran information that includes the date that the VA plans to complete such updated regulations, the number of granted or denied covered claims, a comparison to the rate of grants and denials with the rate for other claims regarding post-traumatic stress disorder, the three most common reasons for claim denials, and the average time for processing covered claims at each regional office. The VA shall report to Congress monthly regarding: (1) all adjudicated covered claims and their outcomes, and (2) the reason for denial of any covered claim. (Sec. 3) The Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act of 2014 is amended to limit to $2 million during each of FY2016-FY2018 the aggregate amount of awards and bonuses paid to VA employees who are members of the Senior Executive Service.