I 
115TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 4587 
To require the Secretary of Defense to award grants to fund research on 
orthotics and prosthetics. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
DECEMBER 7, 2017 
Mr. CARTWRIGHT introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Armed Services 
A BILL 
To require the Secretary of Defense to award grants to 
fund research on orthotics and prosthetics. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Wounded Warrior Re-
search Enhancement Act’’. 
SEC. 2. ORTHOTIC AND PROSTHETIC RESEARCH. 
(a) PURPOSE.—The purpose of the grants described 
in this section is to advance orthotic and prosthetic clinical 
care for members of the Armed Forces, veterans, and civil-
ians who have undergone amputation, traumatic brain in-
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jury, and other serious physical injury as a result of com-
bat or military experience. 
(b) GRANTS
FOR RESEARCH
ON PATIENT OUT-
COMES.—The Secretary of Defense shall award grants to 
persons to carry out research on the following: 
(1) The actions that can be taken to prevent 
amputation of limbs. 
(2) The point in the course of patient treatment 
during which orthotic and prosthetic intervention is 
most effective. 
(3) The orthotic interventions that are most ef-
fective in treating the physical effects of traumatic 
brain injury. 
(4) The patients that benefit most from par-
ticular orthotic and prosthetic technologies. 
(5) The orthotic and prosthetic services that 
best facilitate the return to active duty of members 
of the Armed Forces. 
(6) The effect of the aging process on the use 
of prosthetics, including— 
(A) increased skin breakdown; 
(B) loss of balance; 
(C) falls; and 
(D) other issues that arise during the 
aging process. 
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(c) GRANTS ON MATERIALS RESEARCH.—The Sec-
retary shall award grants to persons to carry out research 
on the following: 
(1) The improvement of existing materials used 
in orthotics and prosthetics for the purpose of im-
proving quality of life and health outcomes for indi-
viduals with limb loss. 
(2) The development of new materials used in 
orthotics and prosthetics for the purpose of improv-
ing quality of life and health outcomes for individ-
uals with limb loss. 
(d) GRANTS ON TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH.—The Sec-
retary shall award grants to persons to carry out research 
on the following: 
(1) The improvement of existing orthotic and 
prosthetic technology and devices for the purpose of 
improving quality of life and health outcomes for in-
dividuals with limb loss. 
(2) The development of new orthotic and pros-
thetic technology and devices for the purpose of im-
proving quality of life and health outcomes for indi-
viduals with limb loss. 
(e) REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS.—A person seeking 
the award of a grant under this section shall submit to 
the Secretary an application therefore in the form and ac-
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