I
103D CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 3013
To amend title 38, United States Code, to establish a Women’s Bureau
in the Department of Veterans Affairs.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
AUGUST 6, 1993
Ms. WATERS (for herself, Mr. KENNEDY, Mrs. MEEK, Mr. EVANS, Ms.
BROWN of Florida, Mrs. SCHROEDER, Mr. GUTIERREZ, Mr. FILNER,
Mrs. MORELLA, Mrs. UNSOELD, Ms. WOOLSEY, Ms. SLAUGHTER, Mrs.
LLOYD, Mr. SLATTERY, Ms. VELA´ZQUEZ, Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD, Mrs.
MALONEY, Mrs. CLAYTON, Mrs. THURMAN, Mr. BISHOP, Ms. MCKINNEY,
Mr. CLYBURN, Mrs. MINK, Ms. SNOWE, and Ms. MARGOLIES-
MEZVINSKY) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee on Veterans’ Affairs
A BILL
To amend title 38, United States Code, to establish a
Women’s Bureau in the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. ESTABLISHMENT OF WOMEN’S BUREAU IN THE
DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS’ AFFAIRS.
(a) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 3 of title 38, United
States Code, is amended by adding at the end the follow-
ing new section:
‘‘§ 318. Women’s Bureau
‘‘(a) There shall be in the Department of Veterans
Affairs a bureau to be known as the ‘Women’s Bureau’.
‘‘(b) The Secretary shall employ within the Bureau
a Director, who shall head the Bureau and shall report
directly to the Secretary and Deputy Secretary. The Sec-
retary shall also employ a Deputy Director and such other
personnel as the Bureau may require. It shall be the duty
of the Bureau to foster and promote standards and poli-
cies to improve the general welfare of women veterans.
‘‘(c) The Director of the Bureau shall assist in the
development of policies providing benefits and other serv-
ices to women veterans and the dependents and bene-
ficiaries of women veterans.
‘‘(d) The Director shall serve as principal advisor to
the Secretary with regards to the interests and concerns
of women veterans. The Director shall evaluate both exist-
ing and future programs of the Department and inform
the Secretary as to their impact on women veterans.
‘‘(e) The Bureau shall have the authority to inves-
tigate and report to the Secretary upon all matters per-
taining to the welfare of women in the Department. Other
responsibilities of the Bureau shall include the following:
‘‘(1) Providing outreach to women veterans.
‘‘(2) Acting as a resource for and provide con-
sultative services to women veterans coordinators.
‘‘(3) Providing oversight of all women’s pro-
grams of the Department (that is, well women clin-
ics, sexual trauma programs, women veterans coordi-
nator program, etc.).
‘‘(f) The Director shall be briefed on a regular basis,
and at least annually, by the Assistant Secretaries and
Under Secretaries of the Department on these matters
within their respective jurisdiction that may affect women
veterans.
‘‘(g) The Director, with the consent of the Secretary,
shall—
‘‘(1) prescribe the qualification and training re-
quirements for employees of the Bureau and women
veteran coordinators within the Department;
‘‘(2) develop minimum training requirements on
the needs of women veterans for all personnel having
direct programmatic contact with women veterans;
‘‘(3) advise departmental heads as to the im-
pact of significant existing and future programs and
policies on women veterans;
‘‘(4) evaluate research protocols to ensure con-
sideration of the unique attributes and needs of
women veterans; and
‘‘(5) perform such additional responsibilities as
the Secretary may prescribe that are consistent with
the intent of this section.
‘‘(h) The Secretary shall ensure the full participation
of the Women’s Bureau in policymaking, program direc-
tion, legislative and regulatory action, research, and eval-
uation.
‘‘(i) The Secretary shall ensure that the Director is
furnished sufficient resources to enable the Director to
carry out the functions of the Bureau in a timely manner.
‘‘(j) The Secretary shall include in documents submit-
ted to Congress by the Secretary in support of the Presi-
dent’s budget for each fiscal year—
‘‘(1) detailed information on the budget for the
Bureau;
‘‘(2) the Secretary’s opinion as to whether the
resources (including the number of employees) pro-
posed in the budget for that fiscal year are adequate
to enable the Bureau to comply with its statutory
and regulatory obligations; and
‘‘(3) a report on the activities of the Bureau
and significant decisions affecting the work of the
Bureau during the preceding fiscal year.’’.
(b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections
at the beginning of such chapter is amended by adding
at the end the following new item:
‘‘318. Women’s Bureau.’’.
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