I 
109TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 6017 
To provide for transitional emergency assistance to certain members of the 
Armed Forces and veterans who are severely injured in the Global War 
on Terror, to expand and improve programs for caregiver services for 
those members and veterans, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JULY 28, 2006 
Mr. SIMMONS introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee on Armed Services, and in addition to the Committees on Vet-
erans’ Affairs and Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently de-
termined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions 
as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To provide for transitional emergency assistance to certain 
members of the Armed Forces and veterans who are 
severely injured in the Global War on Terror, to expand 
and improve programs for caregiver services for those 
members and veterans, 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 ‘‘War on Terror Wound-
ed Heroes’ Bill of Rights Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. PROVISION OF TRANSITIONAL EMERGENCY CASH 
ASSISTANCE 
TO 
SERVICEMEMBERS 
SE-
VERELY WOUNDED OR INJURED IN OPER-
ATION ENDURING FREEDOM AND OPERATION 
IRAQI FREEDOM. 
(a) PROVISION OF EMERGENCY CASH ASSISTANCE.— 
(1) The Secretary of Defense shall, through the head of 
the Severely Injured Joint Support Operations Center of 
the Department of Defense or through the heads of the 
support programs referred to in paragraph (2), provide 
prompt emergency cash assistance to a War on Terror 
Wounded Hero (as defined in subsection (b)) who, due to 
a severe injury, due to subsequent treatment for that se-
vere injury, or due to such other criteria related to that 
severe injury as the Secretary may specify, is undergoing 
significant financial difficulty (as defined by the Sec-
retary). Such emergency cash assistance shall be in an ap-
propriate amount and for an appropriate period deter-
mined under regulations prescribed by the Secretary under 
subsection (c) under such terms and conditions as the Sec-
retary may specify. 
(2) For purposes of paragraph (1), the support pro-
grams referred to in this paragraph are programs of the 
military departments (as defined in section 101(a)(8) of 
title 10, United States Code) to provide assistance to 
members of the Armed Forces who incur severe wounds 
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or injuries in the line of duty, and include the following 
programs: 
(A) The Army Wounded Warrior Program. 
(B) The Marine Corps Marine for Life Support Pro-
gram. 
(C) The Air Force Palace HART Program. 
(D) The Navy Wounded Marines and Sailors Initia-
tive. 
(b) WAR ON TERROR WOUNDED HERO DEFINED.— 
(1) In this Act, the term ‘‘War on Terror Wounded Hero’’ 
means a member of the Armed Forces or a veteran who 
on or after September 11, 2001, was severely injured while 
serving on active duty in the theater of combat operations 
(as determined by the Secretary of Defense) of Operation 
Enduring Freedom or Operation Iraqi Freedom. 
(2) For purposes of paragraph (1)— 
(A) the term ‘‘severely’’ with respect to an in-
jury means— 
(i) the inability or severe difficulty of an 
individual with the injury to perform one or 
more activities of daily living, 
(ii) a service-connected disability rated at 
30 percent or more (as determined by the Sec-
retary of Defense or Secretary of Veterans Af-
fairs, as the case may be), and 
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(iii) such other injuries or conditions as 
the Secretary of Defense may specify; 
(B) the term ‘‘Armed Forces’’ has the meaning 
given that term in section 101(a)(4) of title 10, 
United States Code; and 
(C) the term ‘‘veteran’’ has the meaning given 
that term in section 101(2) of title 38, United 
States Code. 
(c) REGULATIONS.—(1) The Secretary of Defense 
shall prescribe regulations to carry out this section which 
may be effective and final immediately on an interim basis 
as of the date of publication of the interim final regula-
tion. 
(2) In establishing guidelines under such regulations 
to determine the need for emergency cash assistance, the 
amount of emergency cash assistance required, and the 
period for which case assistance may be required, the Sec-
retary shall take into account the following: 
(A) The location of the facility providing med-
ical treatment to a War on Terror Wounded Hero 
and the location of the residence of the War on Ter-
ror Wounded Hero. 
(B) The effect of the injury and medical treat-
ment of a War on Terror Wounded Hero on family 
members, including— 
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