I 
118TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 6373 
To amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Veterans 
Affairs to offer annual preventative health evaluations to veterans with 
a spinal cord injury or disorder and increase access to assistive tech-
nologies, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
NOVEMBER 13, 2023 
Mr. BERGMAN (for himself, Mrs. DINGELL, Mr. BOST, and Ms. BROWNLEY) 
introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
Veterans’ Affairs 
A BILL 
To amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Sec-
retary of Veterans Affairs to offer annual preventative 
health evaluations to veterans with a spinal cord injury 
or disorder and increase access to assistive technologies, 
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 ‘‘Veterans Spinal Trau-
ma Access to New Devices Act’’ or the ‘‘Veterans STAND 
Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. PROVISION OF PREVENTATIVE HEALTH EVALUA-
TIONS FOR VETERANS WITH A SPINAL CORD 
INJURY OR DISORDER. 
Section 1706 of title 38, United States Code, is 
amended by adding at the end the following new sub-
section: 
‘‘(d)(1) In managing the provision of hospital care 
and medical services under section 1710(a) of this title, 
the Secretary shall furnish (through direct provision of 
service, referral, or a telehealth program operated by the 
Department) a preventative health evaluation annually to 
any veteran with a spinal cord injury or disorder who 
elects to undergo the evaluation. 
‘‘(2) The evaluation described in paragraph (1) shall 
include the following: 
‘‘(A) An assessment of any circumstance or 
condition the veteran is experiencing that indicates 
a risk for any health complication related to the spi-
nal cord injury or disorder, including a risk of 
comorbidities. 
‘‘(B) An assessment regarding chronic pain 
and, if applicable, the management of chronic pain. 
‘‘(C) An assessment regarding dietary manage-
ment and weight management. 
‘‘(D) An assessment regarding prosthetic equip-
ment, including which prosthetic equipment the vet-
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eran needs, how well any existing prosthetic equip-
ment is functioning considering the needs of the vet-
eran, and any safety concerns regarding the pros-
thetic equipment in use by or recommended to the 
veteran. 
‘‘(E) An assessment for the provision of any as-
sistive technology that could help maximize the inde-
pendence and mobility of the veteran. 
‘‘(3)(A) In maintaining, prescribing, or amending any 
guidance, rules, or regulations issued by the Department 
regarding the requirements set out in this subsection, the 
Secretary shall consult with the spinal cord injury and dis-
order program managers of the Department, clinicians 
employed by the Department as specialists in spinal cord 
injuries and disorders, and the organizations named in or 
approved under section 5902 of this title. 
‘‘(B) Before issuing any guidance, rules, or regula-
tions regarding the requirements set out in this sub-
section, the Secretary shall consult with manufacturers of 
assistive technologies and other entities relevant to the 
provision of assistive technologies if the guidance, rules, 
or regulations would directly affect such manufacturers or 
entities. 
‘‘(C) The Secretary shall ensure, to the extent pos-
sible, that any veteran known by the Secretary to have 
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a spinal cord injury or disorder receives information annu-
ally about the evaluation available under this subsection 
and the benefits to the veteran of choosing to undergo the 
evaluation. 
‘‘(4) Not later than one year after the date of the 
enactment of the Veterans Spinal Trauma Access to New 
Devices Act, and every two years thereafter, the Secretary 
shall submit to the Committees on Veterans’ Affairs of 
the Senate and the House of Representatives a report that 
includes the following: 
‘‘(A) For the period covered by the report, the 
number of veterans who— 
‘‘(i) received medical care or hospital serv-
ices from the Department and used an assistive 
technology; 
‘‘(ii) received medical care or hospital serv-
ices from the Department and were assessed for 
the provision of an assistive technology; and 
‘‘(iii) received medical care or hospital 
services from the Department and were pre-
scribed an assistive technology. 
‘‘(B) The year-to-year change (for the period 
covered by the report, including the two years imme-
diately prior to year the report is submitted) in the 
percent of veterans with a spinal cord injury or dis-
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order who received an evaluation under this sub-
section. 
‘‘(5) In reviewing the performance metrics of a Vet-
erans Integrated Service Network for any year beginning 
after the date that is one year after the date of the enact-
ment of the Veterans Spinal Trauma Access to New De-
vices Act, the Secretary shall consider the provision of 
evaluations under paragraph (1). 
‘‘(6) In this subsection, the term ‘assistive tech-
nology’ means a powered medical device or electronic tool 
used to treat or alleviate symptoms or conditions caused 
by a spinal cord injury or disorder, including the following: 
‘‘(A) A personal mobility device, including a 
powered exoskeleton device. 
‘‘(B) A speech generating device.’’. 
Æ 
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