I 
113TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 3408 
To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to educate certain staff of the 
Department of Veterans Affairs and to inform veterans about the Injured 
and Amputee Veterans Bill of Rights, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
OCTOBER 30, 2013 
Mrs. ELLMERS (for herself, Mr. ROE of Tennessee, Ms. BROWNLEY of Cali-
fornia, Mr. MCINTYRE, Mr. RUIZ, Mr. COBLE, Mr. PRICE of North Caro-
lina, and Mr. PITTENGER) introduced the following bill; which was re-
ferred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 
A BILL 
To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to educate certain 
staff of the Department of Veterans Affairs and to in-
form veterans about the Injured and Amputee Veterans 
Bill of Rights, and for other purposes. 
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 ‘‘Injured and Amputee 
Veterans Bill of Rights’’. 
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SEC. 2. INJURED AND AMPUTEE VETERANS BILL OF 
RIGHTS. 
(a) DISPLAY.—The Secretary of Veterans Affairs 
shall ensure that the Injured and Amputee Veterans Bill 
of Rights described in subsection (d) is printed on signage 
in accessible formats and displayed prominently and con-
spicuously in each prosthetics and orthotics clinic of the 
Department of Veterans Affairs. 
(b) EDUCATION
OF DEPARTMENT EMPLOYEES.— 
The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall ensure that em-
ployees of the Department of Veterans Affairs who work 
at prosthetics and orthotics clinics and who work as pa-
tient advocates with veterans who receive care at such clin-
ics, including Federal recovery coordinators and case man-
agers, receive training on the Injured and Amputee Vet-
erans Bill of Rights described in subsection (d). 
(c) OUTREACH
TO VETERANS.—The Secretary of 
Veterans Affairs shall conduct outreach to inform veterans 
about the Injured and Amputee Veterans Bill of Rights 
described in subsection (d) by— 
(1) ensuring that such Bill of Rights is avail-
able on the Internet Web site of the Department of 
Veterans Affairs; and 
(2) conducting other types of outreach targeted 
at specific groups of veterans, which may include 
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outreach conducted on other Internet Web sites or 
through veterans service organizations. 
(d) INJURED AND AMPUTEE VETERANS BILL OF 
RIGHTS.—The Injured and Amputee Veterans Bill of 
Rights described in this subsection is a statement that in-
jured and amputee veterans should have, at a minimum, 
the following rights: 
(1) The right to access the highest quality pros-
thetic and orthotic care, including the right to the 
most appropriate technology and best qualified prac-
titioners. 
(2) The right to continuity of care in the transi-
tion from the Department of Defense health pro-
gram to the Department of Veterans Affairs health 
care system, including comparable benefits relating 
to prosthetic and orthotic services. 
(3) The right to select the practitioner that best 
meets their orthotic and prosthetic needs, whether or 
not that practitioner is an employee of the Depart-
ment of Veterans Affairs, a private practitioner who 
has entered into a contract with the Secretary of 
Veterans Affairs to provide prosthetic and orthotic 
services, or a private practitioner with specialized ex-
pertise. 
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(4) The right to consistent and portable health 
care, including the right to obtain comparable serv-
ices and technology at any medical facility of the 
Department of Veterans Affairs across the country. 
(5) The right to timely and efficient prosthetic 
and orthotic care, including a speedy authorization 
process with expedited authorization available for 
veterans visiting from another area of the country. 
(6) The right to play a meaningful role in reha-
bilitation decisions, including the right to receive a 
second opinion regarding prosthetic and orthotic 
treatment options. 
(7) The right to receive appropriate treatment, 
including the right to receive both a primary pros-
thesis or orthosis and a functional spare. 
(8) The right to be treated with respect and 
dignity and have an optimal quality of life both dur-
ing and after rehabilitation. 
(9) The right to transition and readjust to civil-
ian life in an honorable manner, including by having 
ample access to vocational rehabilitation, employ-
ment programs, and housing assistance. 
(e) MONITORING
AND
RESOLUTION
OF
COM-
PLAINTS.— 
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