IIB 
111TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 5953 
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 
DECEMBER 1, 2010 
Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 
AN ACT 
To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to display in 
each facility of the Department of Veterans Affairs a 
Women Veterans Bill of Rights and to display in each 
prosthetics and orthotics clinic of the Department an 
Injured and Amputee Veterans Bill of Rights, and for 
other purposes. 
VerDate Mar 15 2010 
02:05 Dec 02, 2010
Jkt 099200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6652
E:\BILLS\H5953.RFS
H5953
jbell on DSKDVH8Z91PROD with BILLS
HR 5953 RFS 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. DISPLAY OF WOMEN VETERANS BILL OF 
RIGHTS. 
(a) DISPLAY.—The Secretary of Veterans Affairs 
shall ensure that the Women Veterans Bill of Rights de-
scribed in subsection (b) is printed on signs in accessible 
formats and displayed prominently and conspicuously in 
each facility of the Department of Veterans Affairs and 
distributed widely to women veterans. 
(b) WOMEN VETERANS BILL
OF RIGHTS.—The 
Women Veterans Bill of Rights described in this sub-
section is a sign stating that women veterans should have 
the following rights: 
(1) The right to a coordinated, comprehensive, 
primary women’s health care, at every Department 
of Veterans Affairs medical facility, including the 
recognized models of best practices, systems, and 
structures for care delivery that ensure that every 
woman veteran has access to a Department of Vet-
erans Affairs primary care provider who can meet all 
her primary care needs, including gender-specific, 
acute and chronic illness, preventive, and mental 
health care. 
VerDate Mar 15 2010 
02:05 Dec 02, 2010
Jkt 099200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H5953.RFS
H5953
jbell on DSKDVH8Z91PROD with BILLS
HR 5953 RFS 
(2) The right to be treated with dignity and re-
spect at all Department of Veterans Affairs facili-
ties. 
(3) The right to innovation in care delivery pro-
moted and incentivized by the Veterans Health Ad-
ministration to support local best practices fitted to 
the particular configuration and women veteran pop-
ulation. 
(4) The right to request and get treatment by 
clinicians with specific training and experience in 
women’s health issues. 
(5) The right to enhanced capabilities of med-
ical providers, clinical support, non-clinical, and ad-
ministrative, to meet the comprehensive health care 
needs of women veterans. 
(6) The right to request and expect gender eq-
uity in provision of clinical health care services. 
(7) The right to equal access to health care 
services as that of their male counterparts. 
(8) The right to parity to their male veteran 
counterpart regarding the outcome of performance 
measures of health care services. 
(9) The right to be informed, through outreach 
campaigns, of benefits under laws administered by 
the Secretary of Veterans Affairs and to be included 
VerDate Mar 15 2010 
02:05 Dec 02, 2010
Jkt 099200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H5953.RFS
H5953
jbell on DSKDVH8Z91PROD with BILLS
HR 5953 RFS 
in Department outreach materials for any benefits 
and service to which they are entitled. 
(10) The right to be featured proportionately, 
including by age and ethnicity, in Department out-
reach materials, including electronic and print media 
that clearly depict them as being the recipient of the 
benefits and services provided by the Department. 
(11) The right to be recognized as an important 
separate population in new strategic plans for serv-
ice delivery within the health care system of the De-
partment of Veterans Affairs. 
(12) The right to equal consideration in hiring 
and employment for any job to which they apply. 
(13) The right to equal consideration in secur-
ing Federal contracts. 
(14) The right to equal access and accommoda-
tions in homeless programs that will meet their 
unique family needs. 
(15) The right to have their claims adjudicated 
equally, fairly, and accurately without bias or dis-
parate treatment. 
(16) The right to have their military sexual 
trauma and other injuries compensated in a way 
that reflects the level of trauma sustained. 
VerDate Mar 15 2010 
02:05 Dec 02, 2010
Jkt 099200
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H5953.RFS
H5953
jbell on DSKDVH8Z91PROD with BILLS
HR 5953 RFS 
(17) The right to expect that all veteran service 
officers, especially those who are trained by the De-
partment of Veterans Affairs Training Responsibility 
Involvement Preparation program for claims proc-
essing, are required to receive training to be aware 
of and sensitive to the signs of military sexual trau-
ma, domestic violence, and personal assault. 
(18) The right to the availability of female per-
sonnel to assist them in the disability claims applica-
tion and appellate processes of the Department. 
(19) The right to the availability of female com-
pensation and pension examiners. 
(20) The right to expect specialized training be 
provided to disability rating personnel regarding 
military sexual trauma and gender-specific illnesses 
so that these claims can be adjudicated more accu-
rately. 
(21) The right to expect the collection of gen-
der-specific data on disability ratings, for the per-
formance of longitudinal and trend analyses, and for 
other applicable purposes. 
(22) The right to a method to identify and 
track outcomes for all claims involving personal as-
sault trauma, regardless of the resulting disability. 
VerDate Mar 15 2010 
02:05 Dec 02, 2010
Jkt 099200
PO 00000
Frm 00005
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H5953.RFS
H5953
jbell on DSKDVH8Z91PROD with BILLS
HR 5953 RFS 
(23) The right for women veterans’ programs 
and women veteran coordinators to be measured and 
evaluated for performance, consistency, and account-
ability. 
(24) The right to burial benefits under the laws 
administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs. 
SEC. 2. DISPLAY OF 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 (b) is printed on signs 
in accessible formats and displayed prominently and con-
spicuously in each prosthetics and orthotics clinic of the 
Department of Veterans Affairs. 
(b) 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 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-
VerDate Mar 15 2010 
02:05 Dec 02, 2010
Jkt 099200
PO 00000
Frm 00006
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H5953.RFS
H5953
jbell on DSKDVH8Z91PROD with BILLS
HR 5953 RFS 
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. 
(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. 
VerDate Mar 15 2010 
02:05 Dec 02, 2010
Jkt 099200
PO 00000
Frm 00007
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H5953.RFS
H5953
jbell on DSKDVH8Z91PROD with BILLS
HR 5953 RFS 
(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. 
(c) MONITORING
AND
RESOLUTION
OF
COM-
PLAINTS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Veterans 
Affairs, acting through the veteran liaison at each 
medical center of the Department of Veterans Af-
fairs, shall collect information relating to the alleged 
mistreatment of injured and amputee veterans. 
(2) QUARTERLY
REPORTS.—For each fiscal 
quarter, the veteran liaison at each medical center of 
the Department shall submit to the Chief Consultant 
of Prosthetics and Sensory Aids of the Department 
a report on any information collected under para-
graph (1) during that quarter. 
(3) INVESTIGATION AND ADDRESSING OF COM-
PLAINTS.—The Chief Consultant, in cooperation 
VerDate Mar 15 2010 
02:05 Dec 02, 2010
Jkt 099200
PO 00000
Frm 00008
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H5953.RFS
H5953
jbell on DSKDVH8Z91PROD with BILLS
HR 5953 RFS 
with appropriate employees of a medical center of 
the Department, shall investigate and address any 
information collected under paragraph (1) at that 
medical center. 
SEC. 3. EDUCATION AND OUTREACH. 
(a) EDUCATION OF DEPARTMENT EMPLOYEES.—The 
Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall ensure that— 
(1) all employees of the Department of Vet-
erans Affairs receive training on the Women Vet-
erans Bill of Rights described in section 1; and 
(2) employees of the Department who work at 
prosthetics and orthotics clinics and who work as pa-
tient advocates with veterans who receive care at 
such clinics, including Federal recovery coordinators 
and case managers, receive training on the Injured 
and Amputee Veterans Bill of Rights described in 
section 2. 
(b) OUTREACH
TO VETERANS.—The Secretary of 
Veterans Affairs shall conduct outreach to inform veterans 
about the Women Veterans Bill of Rights described in sec-
tion 1 and the Injured and Amputee Veterans Bill of 
Rights described in section 2 by— 
(1) ensuring that such Bills of Rights are avail-
able on the Internet website of the Department of 
Veterans Affairs; and 
VerDate Mar 15 2010 
02:05 Dec 02, 2010
Jkt 099200
PO 00000
Frm 00009
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H5953.RFS
H5953
jbell on DSKDVH8Z91PROD with BILLS
HR 5953 RFS 
(2) conducting other types of outreach targeted 
at specific groups of veterans, which may include 
outreach conducted on other Internet websites or 
through veterans service organizations. 
SEC. 4. EXCLUSION OF CERTAIN SERVICES. 
Nothing in this Act shall be construed to establish 
a right to any service excluded under 38 CFR 17.38, as 
in effect on the date of the enactment of this Act. 
Passed the House of Representatives November 30, 
2010. 
Attest: 
LORRAINE C. MILLER, 
Clerk. 
VerDate Mar 15 2010 
02:05 Dec 02, 2010
Jkt 099200
PO 00000
Frm 00010
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H5953.RFS
H5953
jbell on DSKDVH8Z91PROD with BILLS