IB 
Union Calendar No. 38 
113TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 671 
[Report No. 113–63] 
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. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
FEBRUARY 13, 2013 
Ms. PINGREE of Maine (for herself, Mr. MICHAUD, Ms. TSONGAS, Mr. LAR-
SEN of Washington, Mr. MCGOVERN, Mrs. CAPPS, Mr. GRIJALVA, Mr. 
RUSH, Mr. HONDA, Mr. LEWIS, Ms. BROWNLEY of California, and Ms. 
SHEA-PORTER) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 
MAY 17, 2013 
Additional sponsors: Mr. POLIS, Mr. ELLISON, Mr. PAYNE, Ms. TITUS, Mr. 
JONES, Mr. BLUMENAUER, Ms. DELBENE, Mr. O’ROURKE, Mr. DEFA-
ZIO, Mrs. NEGRETE MCLEOD, Mr. CONNOLLY, Ms. KUSTER, Mr. MUR-
PHY of Florida, Mr. BISHOP of New York, Mr. KILMER, Ms. SLAUGH-
TER, Mr. MORAN, Mr. RYAN of Ohio, Mr. SIRES, Mr. BRALEY of Iowa, 
Mr. HUFFMAN, Mr. MATHESON, Mr. LIPINSKI, Ms. LOFGREN, Ms. 
BONAMICI, Ms. MCCOLLUM, Mr. LATHAM, and Mr. TAKANO 
MAY 17, 2013 
Reported with amendments, committed to the Committee of the Whole House 
on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed 
[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic] 
[For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on February 13, 2013] 
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A BILL 
To amend title 38, United States Code, to improve the 
disability compensation evaluation procedure of the Sec-
retary of Veterans Affairs for veterans with mental 
health conditions related to military sexual trauma, and 
for other purposes. 
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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 ‘‘Ruth Moore Act of 
2013’’. 
SEC. 2. REPORTS ON CLAIMS FOR DISABILITIES INCURRED 
OR AGGRAVATED BY MILITARY SEXUAL TRAU-
MA. 
(a) ANNUAL REPORTS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Subchapter VI of chapter 11 
of title 38, United States Code, is amended by adding 
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 sub-
mit to Congress a report on covered claims submitted dur-
ing 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. 
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‘‘(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. 
‘‘(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 med-
ical examination. 
‘‘(5) The number of covered claims that, as of the 
end of the fiscal year covered by the report, are pend-
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ing and, separately, the number of such claims on ap-
peal. 
‘‘(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 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’ means claims for 
disability compensation submitted to the Secretary 
based on a covered mental health condition alleged to 
have been incurred or aggravated by military sexual 
trauma. 
‘‘(2) The term ‘covered mental health condition’ 
means post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, depres-
sion, or other mental health diagnosis described in the 
current version of the Diagnostic and Statistical 
Manual of Mental Disorders published by the Amer-
ican Psychiatric Association that the Secretary deter-
mines to be related to military sexual trauma. 
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‘‘(3) 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.’’. 
(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. Reports on claims for disabilities incurred or aggravated by military sex-
ual trauma.’’. 
(3) INITIAL REPORT.—The Secretary of Veterans 
Affairs shall submit to Congress an initial report de-
scribed 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 De-
cember 2014. 
(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 Af-
fairs with respect to military sexual trauma by— 
(1) ensuring that military sexual trauma is 
specified as an in-service stressor in determining the 
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service-connection of post-traumatic stress disorder by 
including military sexual trauma as a stressor de-
scribed in section 3.304(f)(3) of title 38, Code of Fed-
eral 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 re-
sult 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 de-
scribed 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 sub-
section (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 compensa-
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tion or been treated at a medical facility of the De-
partment 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 cov-
ered claims; 
(F) the average time for processing covered 
claims at each regional office; and 
(G) any information the Secretary deter-
mines relevant with respect to submitting a cov-
ered claim; 
(3) in addition to providing to veterans the in-
formation described in paragraph (2), the Secretary 
shall make available on a monthly basis such infor-
mation on a conspicuous location of the Internet 
website of the Department; and 
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(4) submit to Congress on a monthly basis a re-
port 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 med-
ical 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’’ has the meaning 
given that term in section 1164(c)(1) of title 38, 
United States Code, as added by subsection (a)(1). 
(2) The term ‘‘military sexual trauma’’ has the 
meaning given that term in section 1164(c)(3) of title 
38, United States Code, as added by subsection (a)(1). 
SEC. 3. EXTENSION OF ROUNDING DOWN OF PERCENTAGE 
INCREASES OF RATES OF CERTAIN EDU-
CATIONAL ASSISTANCE. 
(a) MONTGOMERY GI BILL.—Section 3015(h)(2) of 
title 38, United States Code, is amended— 
(1) by striking ‘‘fiscal year 2014’’ and inserting 
‘‘fiscal year 2019’’; and 
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(2) by striking ‘‘fiscal year 2013’’ and inserting 
‘‘fiscal year 2018’’. 
(b) SURVIVORS’ AND DEPENDENTS’ EDUCATIONAL AS-
SISTANCE.—Section 3564(b) of such title is amended— 
(1) by striking ‘‘fiscal year 2014’’ and inserting 
‘‘fiscal year 2019’’; and 
(2) by striking ‘‘fiscal year 2013’’ and inserting 
‘‘fiscal year 2018’’. 
Amend the title so as to read: ‘‘A bill to amend title 
38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Vet-
erans Affairs to submit to Congress an annual report on 
claims for disabilities incurred or aggravated by military 
sexual trauma, and for other purposes.’’. 
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Union Calendar No. 38 
113TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 671 
[Report No. 113–63] 
A BILL 
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. 
MAY 17, 2013 
Reported with amendments, committed to the Committee 
of the Whole House on the State of the Union, and or-
dered to be printed 
VerDate Mar 15 2010 
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