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(B) PHYSICAL DISABILITY EVALUATIONS.—
Processes, procedures, and standards for physical
disability evaluations of covered servicemembers,
including the following:
(i) A non-adversarial process of the
Department of Defense and the Department
of Veterans Affairs for disability determina-
tions of covered servicemembers.
(ii) To the extent feasible, procedures to
eliminate unacceptable discrepancies among
disability ratings assigned by the military
departments and the Department of Vet-
erans Affairs, particularly in the disability
evaluation of covered servicemembers, which
procedures shall be subject to the following
requirements and limitations:
(I) Such procedures shall apply
uniformly with respect to covered
servicemembers who are members of the
regular components of the Armed
Forces and covered servicemembers who
are members of the National Guard
and Reserve.
(II) Under such procedures, each
Secretary of a military department
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shall, to the extent feasible, utilize the
standard schedule for rating disabil-
ities in use by the Department of Vet-
erans Affairs, including any applicable
interpretation of such schedule by the
United States Court of Appeals for Vet-
erans Claims, in making any deter-
mination of disability of a covered
servicemember.
(iii) Standard timelines for appeals of
determinations of disability of covered
servicemembers, including timelines for
presentation, consideration, and disposition
of appeals.
(iv) Uniform standards for qualifica-
tions and training of physical disability
evaluation board personnel in conducting
physical disability evaluations of covered
servicemembers.
(v) Standards for the maximum num-
ber of physical disability evaluation cases of
covered servicemembers that are pending be-
fore a physical disability evaluation board
at any one time, and requirements for the
establishment of additional physical dis-
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ability evaluation boards in the event such
number is exceeded.
(vi) Procedures for the provision of
legal counsel to covered servicemembers
while undergoing evaluation by a physical
disability evaluation board.
(vii) Uniform standards on the roles
and responsibilities of case managers,
servicemember advocates, and judge advo-
cates assigned to covered servicemembers
undergoing evaluation by a physical dis-
ability board, and uniform standards on the
maximum number of cases involving such
servicemembers that are to be assigned to
such managers and advocates.
(C) 
RETURN
OF
COVERED
SERVICEMEMBERS TO ACTIVE DUTY.—Standards
for determinations by the military departments
on the return of covered servicemembers to active
duty in the Armed Forces.
(D) 
TRANSITION
OF
COVERED
SERVICEMEMBERS FROM DOD TO VA.—Processes,
procedures, and standards for the transition of
covered servicemembers from care and treatment
by the Department of Defense to care and treat-
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ment by the Department of Veterans Affairs be-
fore, during, and after separation from the
Armed Forces, including the following:
(i) A uniform, patient-focused policy to
ensure that the transition occurs without
gaps in medical care and the quality of
medical care, benefits, and services.
(ii) Procedures for the identification
and tracking of covered servicemembers dur-
ing the transition, and for the coordination
of 
care 
and 
treatment 
of 
such
servicemembers during the transition, in-
cluding a system of cooperative case man-
agement of such servicemembers by the De-
partment of Defense and the Department of
Veterans Affairs during the transition.
(iii) Procedures for the notification of
Department of Veterans Affairs liaison per-
sonnel of the commencement by covered
servicemembers of the medical evaluation
process and the physical disability evalua-
tion process.
(iv) Procedures and timelines for the
enrollment of covered servicemembers in ap-
plicable enrollment or application systems
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of the Department of Veterans with respect
to health care, disability, education, voca-
tional rehabilitation, or other benefits.
(v) Procedures to ensure the access of
covered servicemembers during the transi-
tion to vocational, educational, and reha-
bilitation benefits available through the De-
partment of Veterans Affairs.
(vi) Standards for the optimal location
of Department of Defense and Department
of Veterans Affairs liaison and case man-
agement personnel at military medical
treatment facilities, medical centers, and
other medical facilities of the Department of
Defense.
(vii) Standards and procedures for in-
tegrated medical care and management for
covered servicemembers during the transi-
tion, including procedures for the assign-
ment of medical personnel of the Depart-
ment of Veterans Affairs to Department of
Defense facilities to participate in the needs
assessments of such servicemembers before,
during, and after their separation from
military service.
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(viii) Standards for the preparation of
detailed plans for the transition of covered
servicemembers from care and treatment by
the Department of Defense to care and
treatment by the Department of Veterans
Affairs, which plans shall be based on
standardized elements with respect to care
and treatment requirements and other ap-
plicable requirements.
(E) OTHER MATTERS.—The following addi-
tional 
matters 
with 
respect 
to 
covered
servicemembers:
(i) Access by the Department of Vet-
erans Affairs to the military health records
of covered servicemembers who are receiving
care and treatment, or are anticipating re-
ceipt of care and treatment, in Department
of Veterans Affairs health care facilities.
(ii) Requirements for utilizing, in ap-
propriate cases, a single physical examina-
tion that meets requirements of both the De-
partment of Defense and the Department of
Veterans Affairs for covered servicemembers
who are being retired, separated, or released
from military service.
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(iii) Surveys and other mechanisms to
measure patient and family satisfaction
with the provision by the Department of
Defense and the Department of Veterans Af-
fairs of care and services for covered
servicemembers, and to facilitate appro-
priate oversight by supervisory personnel of
the provision of such care and services.
(3) REPORT ON REDUCTION IN DISABILITY RAT-
INGS BY THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE.—The Sec-
retary of Defense shall submit a report to the commit-
tees on Armed Services of the Senate and House of
Representatives on the numbers of instances in which
a disability rating assigned to a member of the
Armed Forces by an informal physical evaluation
board of the Department of Defense was reduced upon
appeal, and the reasons for such reduction. Such re-
port shall cover the period beginning October 7, 2001
and ending September 30, 2006, and shall be sub-
mitted to the appropriate committees of Congress by
February 1, 2008.
(e) REPORTS.—
(1) REPORT ON POLICY.—Upon the development
of the policy required by this section but not later
than January 1, 2008, the Secretary of Defense and
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the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall jointly submit
to the appropriate committees of Congress a report on
the policy, including a comprehensive and detailed
description of the policy and of the manner in which
the policy addresses the findings and recommenda-
tions of the reviews under subsections (b) and (c).
(2) REPORTS ON UPDATE.—Upon updating the
policy under subsection (a)(4), the Secretary of De-
fense and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall joint-
ly submit to the appropriate committees of Congress
a report on the update of the policy, including a com-
prehensive and detailed description of such update
and of the reasons for such update.
(f) COMPTROLLER GENERAL ASSESSMENT OF IMPLE-
MENTATION.—Not later than six months after the date of
the enactment of this Act and every year thereafter, the
Comptroller General of the United States shall submit to
the appropriate committees of Congress a report setting
forth the assessment of the Comptroller General of the
progress of the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of
Veterans Affairs in developing and implementing the policy
required by this section.
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SEC. 1612. CONSIDERATION OF NEEDS OF WOMEN MEM-
BERS OF THE ARMED FORCES AND VET-
ERANS.
(a) IN GENERAL.—In developing and implementing
the policy required by section 1611, and in otherwise car-
rying out any other provision of this title or any amend-
ment made by this title, the Secretary of Defense and the
Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall take into account and
fully address any unique specific needs of women members
of the Armed Forces and women veterans under such policy
or other provision.
(b) REPORTS.—In submitting any report required by
this title or an amendment made by this title, the Secretary
of Defense and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall, to
the extent applicable, include a description of the manner
in which the matters covered by such report address the
unique specific needs of women members of the Armed
Forces and women veterans.