I 
117TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 8686 
To require the Secretary of Defense to award grants to fund research on 
orthotics and prosthetics. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
AUGUST 9, 2022 
Mr. CARTWRIGHT (for himself, Mr. LOWENTHAL, Mr. GRIJALVA, Ms. NOR-
TON, Mr. COHEN, Mr. CARSON, Ms. SCHAKOWSKY, Mr. BILIRAKIS, and 
Mr. GALLEGO) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Armed Services 
A BILL 
To require the Secretary of Defense to award grants to 
fund research on orthotics and prosthetics. 
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 ‘‘Wounded Warrior Re-
search Enhancement Act’’. 
SEC. 2. ORTHOTIC AND PROSTHETIC RESEARCH. 
(a) PURPOSE.—The purpose of the grants described 
in this section is to advance orthotic and prosthetic clinical 
care for members of the Armed Forces, veterans, and civil-
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ians who have undergone amputation, traumatic brain in-
jury, and other serious physical injury as a result of com-
bat or military experience. 
(b) GRANTS
FOR RESEARCH
ON PATIENT OUT-
COMES.—The Secretary of Defense shall award grants to 
persons to carry out research on the following: 
(1) The actions that can be taken to prevent 
amputation of limbs. 
(2) The point in the course of patient treatment 
during which orthotic and prosthetic intervention is 
most effective. 
(3) The orthotic interventions that are most ef-
fective in treating the physical effects of traumatic 
brain injury. 
(4) The patients that benefit most from par-
ticular orthotic and prosthetic technologies. 
(5) The orthotic and prosthetic services that 
best facilitate the return to active duty of members 
of the Armed Forces. 
(6) The effect of the aging process on the use 
of prosthetics, including— 
(A) increased skin breakdown; 
(B) loss of balance; 
(C) falls; and 
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(D) other issues that arise during the 
aging process. 
(c) GRANTS ON MATERIALS RESEARCH.—The Sec-
retary shall award grants to persons to carry out research 
on the following: 
(1) The improvement of existing materials used 
in orthotics and prosthetics for the purpose of im-
proving quality of life and health outcomes for indi-
viduals with limb loss. 
(2) The development of new materials used in 
orthotics and prosthetics for the purpose of improv-
ing quality of life and health outcomes for individ-
uals with limb loss. 
(d) GRANTS ON TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH.—The Sec-
retary shall award grants to persons to carry out research 
on the following: 
(1) The improvement of existing orthotic and 
prosthetic technology and devices for the purpose of 
improving quality of life and health outcomes for in-
dividuals with limb loss. 
(2) The development of new orthotic and pros-
thetic technology and devices for the purpose of im-
proving quality of life and health outcomes for indi-
viduals with limb loss. 
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(e) REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS.—A person seeking 
the award of a grant under this section shall submit to 
the Secretary an application therefore in the form and ac-
companied by such information as the Secretary shall re-
quire. 
(f) AWARD REQUIREMENTS.— 
(1) 
PEER-REVIEWED
PROPOSALS.—Grants 
under this section may be awarded only for research 
that is peer-reviewed. 
(2) COMPETITIVE PROCEDURES.—Grants under 
this section shall be awarded through competitive 
procedures. 
(g) GRANT USE.—A person awarded a grant under 
subsection (b), (c), or (d) shall use the grant amount to 
carry out the research described in the applicable sub-
section. 
(h) REPORTS.—Not later than 180 days after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter, 
the Secretary of Defense shall, in consultation with the 
Secretary of Veterans Affairs, veterans, community-based 
clinicians, and expert researchers in the field of orthotics 
and prosthetics, submit to Congress a report setting forth 
the following: 
(1) An agenda for orthotic and prosthetic re-
search that identifies and prioritizes the most sig-
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nificant unanswered orthotic and prosthetic research 
questions pertinent to the provision of evidence- 
based clinical care to members of the Armed Forces, 
veterans, and civilians. 
(2) For each report after the initial report 
under this subsection— 
(A) a summary of how the grants awarded 
under subsection (b) are addressing the most 
significant orthotic and prosthetic needs; and 
(B) the progress made towards resolving 
orthotic and prosthetic challenges facing mem-
bers of the Armed Forces and veterans. 
(i) VETERAN DEFINED.—In this section, the term 
‘‘veteran’’ has the meaning given that term in section 101 
of title 38, United States Code. 
(j) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 
authorized to be appropriated for fiscal year 2023 for the 
Department of Defense for the Defense Health Program, 
$30,000,000 to carry out this section. 
Æ 
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