SEC. 2. STANDARD OF PROOF FOR SERVICE-CONNECTION 
OF MENTAL HEALTH CONDITIONS RELATED 
TO MILITARY SEXUAL TRAUMA. 
(a) STANDARD OF PROOF.—Section 1154 of title 38, 
United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the 
following new subsection: 
‘‘(c)(1) In the case of any veteran who claims that 
a covered mental health condition was incurred in or ag-
gravated by military sexual trauma during active military, 
naval, or air service, the Secretary shall accept as suffi-
cient proof of service-connection a diagnosis of such men-
tal health condition by a mental health professional to-
gether with satisfactory lay or other evidence of such trau-
ma and an opinion by the mental health professional that 
such covered mental health condition is related to such 
military sexual trauma, if consistent with the cir-
cumstances, conditions, or hardships of such service, not-
withstanding the fact that there is no official record of 
such incurrence or aggravation in such service, and, to 
that end, shall resolve every reasonable doubt in favor of 
the veteran. Service-connection of such covered mental 
health condition may be rebutted by clear and convincing 
evidence to the contrary. The reasons for granting or de-
nying service-connection in each case shall be recorded in 
full. 
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‘‘(2) For purposes of this subsection, in the absence 
of clear and convincing evidence to the contrary, and pro-
vided that the claimed military sexual trauma is consistent 
with the circumstances, conditions, or hardships of the 
veteran’s service, the veteran’s lay testimony alone may 
establish the occurrence of the claimed military sexual 
trauma. 
‘‘(3) In this subsection: 
‘‘(A) The term ‘covered mental health condi-
tion’ means post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, 
depression, or other mental health diagnosis de-
scribed in the current version of the Diagnostic and 
Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders published by 
the American Psychiatric Association that the Sec-
retary determines to be related to military sexual 
trauma. 
‘‘(B) The term ‘military sexual trauma’ means, 
with respect to a veteran, psychological trauma, 
which in the judgment of a mental health profes-
sional, resulted from a physical assault of a sexual 
nature, battery of a sexual nature, or sexual harass-
ment which occurred during active military, naval, 
or air service.’’. 
(b) ANNUAL REPORTS.— 
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(1) IN GENERAL.—Subchapter VI of chapter 11 
of title 38, United States Code, is amended by add-
ing at the end the following new section: 
‘‘§ 1164. Reports on claims for disabilities incurred or 
aggravated by military sexual trauma 
‘‘(a) REPORTS.—Not later than December 1, 2014, 
and each year thereafter through 2018, 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 para-
graph (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 num-
ber and percentage of such denied claims sub-
mitted by each sex. 
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‘‘(3) Of the covered claims listed under para-
graph (1) that were approved, the number and per-
centage, listed by each sex, of claims assigned to 
each rating percentage. 
‘‘(4) Of the covered claims listed under para-
graph (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 Sec-
retary provides to employees of the Veterans Bene-
fits Administration specifically with respect to cov-
ered claims, including the frequency, length, and 
content of such training. 
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‘‘(c) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
‘‘(1) The term ‘covered claims’ means claims 
for disability compensation submitted to the Sec-
retary based on a covered mental health condition 
alleged to have been incurred or aggravated by mili-
tary sexual trauma. 
‘‘(2) The term ‘covered mental health condition’ 
has the meaning given that term in subparagraph 
(A) of section 1154(c)(3) of this title. 
‘‘(3) The term ‘military sexual trauma’ has the 
meaning given that term in subparagraph (B) of 
such section.’’. 
(2) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sec-
tions at the beginning of such chapter is amended 
by adding at the end the following new item: 
‘‘1164. Annual reports on claims for disabilities incurred or aggravated by mili-
tary sexual trauma.’’. 
(c) EFFECTIVE DATE.—Subsection (c) of section 
1154 of title 38, United States Code, as added by sub-
section (a), shall apply with respect to any claim for dis-
ability compensation under laws administered by the Sec-
retary of Veterans Affairs for which no final decision has 
been made before the date of the enactment of this Act. 
Æ 
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