‘‘(A) veterans service organizations; 
‘‘(B) State, local, and Tribal veterans agencies; 
and 
‘‘(C) other persons the Secretary determines ap-
propriate. 
‘‘(3) The working group established under paragraph 
(1) shall develop, and the Secretary shall carry out— 
‘‘(A) an action plan for addressing changes at 
the local level to reduce instances of harassment and 
sexual assault; 
‘‘(B) standardized media for veterans service or-
ganizations and other persons to use in print and on 
the internet with respect to reducing harassment and 
sexual assault; and 
‘‘(C) bystander intervention training for vet-
erans. 
‘‘(f) REPORTS.—The Secretary shall submit to the 
Committees on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate and the 
House of Representatives an annual report on harassment 
and sexual assault described in paragraphs (1) and (2) of 
subsection (a) in facilities of the Department. Each such 
report shall include the following: 
‘‘(1) Results of harassment and sexual assault 
programming, including the End Harassment pro-
gram. 
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‘‘(2) Results of studies from the Women’s Health 
Practice-Based Research Network of the Department 
relating to harassment and sexual assault. 
‘‘(3) Data collected on incidents of sexual harass-
ment and sexual assault. 
‘‘(4) A description of any actions taken by the 
Secretary during the year preceding the date of the 
report to stop harassment and sexual assault at facili-
ties of the Department. 
‘‘(5) An assessment of the implementation of the 
training required in subsection (a)(7). 
‘‘(6) A list of resources the Secretary determines 
necessary to prevent harassment and sexual assault at 
facilities of the Department. 
‘‘(g) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
‘‘(1) The term ‘non-Department individual’ 
means any individual present at a facility of the De-
partment who is not an employee or contractor of the 
Department. 
‘‘(2) The term ‘sexual harassment’ has the mean-
ing given that term in section 1720D of this title.’’. 
(b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections at 
the beginning of such chapter is amended by adding after 
the item relating to section 532 the following new item: 
‘‘533. Anti-harassment and anti-sexual assault policy.’’. 
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(c) DEFINITION OF SEXUAL HARASSMENT.—Section 
1720D(f) of such title is amended by striking ‘‘repeated,’’. 
(d) DEADLINE.—The Secretary shall commence car-
rying out section 533 of such title, as added by subsection 
(a), not later than 180 days after the date of enactment 
of this Act. 
SEC. 322. SUPPORT FOR ORGANIZATIONS THAT HAVE A 
FOCUS 
ON 
PROVIDING 
ASSISTANCE 
TO 
WOMEN VETERANS AND THEIR FAMILIES. 
Section 2044(e) of title 38, United States Code, is 
amended by adding at the end the following new paragraph: 
‘‘(4) Not less than $20,000,000 shall be available under 
paragraph (1)(H) for the provision of financial assistance 
under subsection (a) to organizations that have a focus on 
providing assistance to women veterans and their fami-
lies.’’. 
SEC. 323. GAP ANALYSIS OF DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS 
AFFAIRS PROGRAMS THAT PROVIDE ASSIST-
ANCE TO WOMEN VETERANS WHO ARE HOME-
LESS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Veterans Affairs 
shall complete an analysis of programs of the Department 
of Veterans Affairs that provide assistance to women vet-
erans who are homeless or precariously housed to identify 
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the areas in which such programs are failing to meet the 
needs of such women. 
(b) REPORT.—Not later than 270 days after the date 
of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to 
the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate and the 
Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the House of Representa-
tives a report on the analysis completed under subsection 
(a). 
SEC. 324. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS PUBLIC-PRI-
VATE PARTNERSHIP ON LEGAL SERVICES 
FOR WOMEN VETERANS. 
(a) PARTNERSHIP REQUIRED.—The Secretary of Vet-
erans Affairs shall establish a partnership with at least one 
nongovernmental organization to provide legal services to 
women veterans. 
(b) FOCUS.—The focus of the partnership established 
under subsection (a) shall be on the 10 highest unmet needs 
of women veterans as set forth in the most recently com-
pleted Community Homelessness Assessment, Local Edu-
cation and Networking Groups for Veterans (CHALENG 
for Veterans) survey. 
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SEC. 325. PROGRAM TO ASSIST VETERANS WHO EXPERI-
ENCE INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE OR SEX-
UAL ASSAULT. 
(a) PROGRAM REQUIRED.—The Secretary of Veterans 
Affairs shall carry out a program to assist former members 
of the armed forces who have experienced or are experi-
encing intimate partner violence or sexual assault in access-
ing benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs, in-
cluding coordinating access to medical treatment centers, 
housing assistance, and other benefits from the Department. 
(b) COLLABORATION.—The Secretary shall carry out 
the program under subsection (a) in collaboration with— 
(1) intimate partner violence shelters and pro-
grams; 
(2) rape crisis centers; 
(3) State intimate partner violence and sexual 
assault coalitions; and 
(4) such other health care or other service pro-
viders that serve intimate partner violence or sexual 
assault victims as determined by the Secretary, par-
ticularly those providing emergency services or hous-
ing assistance. 
(c) AUTHORIZED ACTIVITIES.—In carrying out the 
program under subsection (a), the Secretary may conduct 
the following activities: 
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(1) Training for community-based intimate 
partner violence or sexual assault service providers 
on— 
(A) identifying former members of the 
Armed Forces who have been victims of intimate 
partner violence or sexual assault; 
(B) coordinating with local service pro-
viders of the Department; and 
(C) connecting former members of the 
Armed Forces with appropriate housing, mental 
health, medical, and other financial assistance or 
benefits from the Department. 
(2) Assistance to service providers to ensure ac-
cess of veterans to intimate partner violence and sex-
ual assault emergency services, particularly in under-
served areas, including services for Native American 
veterans (as defined in section 3765 of title 38, 
United States Code). 
(3) Such other outreach and assistance as the 
Secretary determines necessary for the provision of 
assistance under subsection (a). 
(d) INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE AND SEXUAL AS-
SAULT OUTREACH COORDINATORS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—In order to effectively assist 
veterans who have experienced intimate partner vio-
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lence or sexual assault, the Secretary may establish 
local coordinators to provide outreach under the pro-
gram required by subsection (a). 
(2) LOCAL
COORDINATOR
KNOWLEDGE.—The 
Secretary shall ensure that each coordinator estab-
lished under paragraph (1) is knowledgeable about— 
(A) the dynamics of intimate partner vio-
lence and sexual assault, including safety con-
cerns, legal protections, and the need for the pro-
vision of confidential services; 
(B) the eligibility of veterans for services 
and benefits from the Department that are rel-
evant to recovery from intimate partner violence 
and sexual assault, particularly emergency hous-
ing assistance, mental health care, other health 
care, and disability benefits; and 
(C) local community resources addressing 
intimate partner violence and sexual assault. 
(3) LOCAL COORDINATOR ASSISTANCE.—Each co-
ordinator established under paragraph (1) shall assist 
intimate partner violence shelters and rape crisis cen-
ters in providing services to veterans. 
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SEC. 326. STUDY AND TASK FORCE ON VETERANS EXPERI-
ENCING INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE OR 
SEXUAL ASSAULT. 
(a) NATIONAL BASELINE STUDY.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than one year after 
the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of 
Veterans Affairs, in consultation with the Attorney 
General, shall conduct a national baseline study to 
examine the scope of the problem of intimate partner 
violence and sexual assault among veterans and 
spouses and intimate partners of veterans. 
(2) MATTERS
INCLUDED.—The study under 
paragraph (1) shall— 
(A) include a literature review of all rel-
evant research on intimate partner violence and 
sexual assault among veterans and spouses and 
intimate partners of veterans; 
(B) examine the prevalence of the experience 
of intimate partner violence among— 
(i) women veterans; 
(ii) veterans who are minority group 
members (as defined in section 544 of title 
38, United States Code, and including other 
minority populations as the Secretary de-
termines appropriate); 
(iii) urban and rural veterans; 
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(iv) veterans who are enrolled in a 
program under section 1720G of title 38, 
United States Code; 
(v) veterans who are in intimate rela-
tionships with other veterans; and 
(vi) veterans who are described in more 
than one clause of this subparagraph; 
(C) examine the prevalence of the perpetra-
tion of intimate partner violence by veterans; 
and 
(D) include recommendations to address the 
findings of the study. 
(3) REPORT.—Not later than 30 days after the 
date on which the Secretary completes the study 
under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall submit to 
the Committees on Veterans’ Affairs of the House of 
Representatives and the Senate a report on such 
study. 
(b) TASK FORCE.—Not later than 90 days after the 
date on which the Secretary completes the study under sub-
section (a), the Secretary, in consultation with the Attorney 
General and the Secretary of Health and Human Services, 
shall establish a national task force (in this section referred 
to as the ‘‘Task Force’’) to develop a comprehensive national 
program, including by integrating facilities, services, and 
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benefits of the Department of Veterans Affairs into existing 
networks of community-based intimate partner violence and 
sexual assault services, to address intimate partner violence 
and sexual assault among veterans. 
(c) CONSULTATION WITH STAKEHOLDERS.—In car-
rying out this section, the Task Force shall consult with— 
(1) representatives from veteran service organiza-
tions and military service organizations; 
(2) representatives from not fewer than three na-
tional organizations or State coalitions with dem-
onstrated expertise in intimate partner violence pre-
vention, response, or advocacy; and 
(3) representatives from not fewer than three na-
tional organizations or State coalitions, particularly 
those representing underserved and ethnic minority 
communities, with demonstrated expertise in sexual 
assault prevention, response, or advocacy. 
(d) DUTIES.—The duties of the Task Force shall in-
clude the following: 
(1) To review existing services and policies of the 
Department and develop a comprehensive national 
program to address intimate partner violence and 
sexual assault prevention, response, and treatment. 
(2) To review the feasibility and advisability of 
establishing an expedited process to secure emergency, 
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temporary benefits, including housing or other bene-
fits, for veterans who are experiencing intimate part-
ner violence or sexual assault. 
(3) To review and make recommendations re-
garding the feasibility and advisability of establishing 
dedicated, temporary housing assistance for veterans 
experiencing intimate partner violence or sexual as-
sault. 
(4) To identify any requirements regarding inti-
mate partner violence assistance or sexual assault re-
sponse and services that are not being met by the De-
partment and make recommendations on how the De-
partment can meet such requirements. 
(5) To review and make recommendations re-
garding the feasibility and advisability of providing 
direct services or contracting for community-based 
services for veterans in response to a sexual assault, 
including through the use of sexual assault nurse ex-
aminers, particularly in underserved or remote areas, 
including services for Native American veterans. 
(6) To review the availability of counseling serv-
ices provided by the Department and through peer 
network support, and to provide recommendations for 
the enhancement of such services, to address— 
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(A) the perpetration of intimate partner vi-
olence and sexual assault; and 
(B) the recovery of veterans, particularly 
women veterans, from intimate partner violence 
and sexual assault. 
(7) To review and make recommendations to ex-
pand services available for veterans at risk of perpe-
trating intimate partner violence. 
(e) REPORT.—Not later than one year after the date 
of the enactment of this Act, and not less frequently than 
annually thereafter by October 1 of each year, the Task 
Force shall submit to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs and 
Congress a report on the activities of the Task Force, includ-
ing any recommendations for legislative or administrative 
action. 
(f) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) The term ‘‘Native American veteran’’ has the 
meaning given that term in section 3765 of title 38, 
United States Code. 
(2) The term ‘‘State’’ has the meaning given that 
term in section 101 of title 38, United States Code. 
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Union Calendar No. 226 
116TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 3224 
[Report No. 116–281] 
A BILL 
To amend title 38, United States Code, to provide 
for increased access to Department of Veterans 
Affairs medical care for women veterans. 
NOVEMBER 12, 2019 
Reported with an amendment, committed to the Com-
mittee of the Whole House on the State of the Union, 
and ordered to be printed 
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