I 
110TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2258 
To direct the Secretary of Defense to ensure that every member of the 
Armed Forces undergoes a medical examination prior to separation or 
discharge, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MAY 9, 2007 
Mr. WELCH of Vermont introduced the following bill; which was referred to 
the Committee on Armed Services, and in addition to the Committee on 
Veterans’ Affairs, for a period to be subsequently determined by the 
Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within 
the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To direct the Secretary of Defense to ensure that every 
member of the Armed Forces undergoes a medical exam-
ination prior to separation or discharge, 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. MEDICAL EXAMINATIONS FOR MEMBERS OF 
THE ARMED FORCES BEFORE THEIR SEPARA-
TION OR DISCHARGE. 
(a) MEDICAL EXAMINATIONS REQUIRED.—The Sec-
retary of Defense shall ensure that every member of the 
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Armed Forces (including members of reserve components) 
who has served in the Global War on Terror— 
(1) undergoes a physical examination before the 
separation or discharge of the member from the 
Armed Forces to determine the member’s medical 
condition at the time of the separation or discharge; 
or 
(2) is provided reimbursement for receiving 
such a physical examination from a licensed physi-
cian within 45 days after separation or discharge. 
(b) FORM FOR MEDICAL EXAMINATION.—The Sec-
retary of Defense and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs 
shall ensure that the Department of Defense and the De-
partment of Veterans Affairs use the same form for med-
ical examinations of members of the Armed Forces and 
veterans, respectively, so that the Department of Veterans 
Affairs has the information it needs (without any further 
medical examination or validation) for making a deter-
mination with respect to a claim for disability compensa-
tion or other purposes. 
(c) TRANSMITTAL OF SERVICE RECORDS AND MED-
ICAL INFORMATION TO DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AF-
FAIRS.—Subsection (c) of section 1142 of title 10, United 
States Code, is amended to read as follows: 
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‘‘(c) TRANSMITTAL OF SERVICE RECORDS AND MED-
ICAL INFORMATION TO DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AF-
FAIRS.— 
‘‘(1) MEDICAL INFORMATION.—Subject to the 
consent of a member who is being separated or dis-
charged from the armed forces, the Secretary con-
cerned shall ensure that a copy of the member’s 
service medical record (including the results of any 
separation medical examination provided the mem-
ber or the results of the member’s appearance before 
a physical evaluation board) is transmitted to the 
Secretary of Veterans Affairs in an electronic format 
within 60 days of the separation or retirement. 
‘‘(2) SERVICE RECORDS.—Subject to the con-
sent of a member who is being separated or dis-
charged from the armed forces, the Secretary con-
cerned also shall ensure that a copy of the member’s 
service record, including the member’s DD–214 dis-
charge form, is transmitted to the Secretary of Vet-
erans Affairs within 60 days of the separation or re-
tirement. To the extent practicable, the information 
shall be provided to the Secretary of Veterans Af-
fairs in an electronic format.’’. 
(d) GLOBAL WAR ON TERROR.—In this section, the 
term ‘‘Global War on Terror’’ means the period beginning 
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on September 11, 2001, and ending on the date thereafter 
prescribed by Presidential proclamation or by law. 
SEC. 2. USE OF MEDICAL EXAMINATIONS PROVIDED TO 
VETERANS BEFORE THEIR SEPARATION OR 
DISCHARGE FROM THE ARMED FORCES FOR 
DETERMINATION OF COMPENSATION BENE-
FITS. 
Section 5103A(d) of title 38, United States Code, is 
amended by adding at the end the following new para-
graph: 
‘‘(3) The Secretary shall treat an examination pro-
vided to a veteran by the Secretary of Defense prior to 
such veteran’s separation or discharge from the Armed 
Forces as an examination provided by the Secretary under 
paragraph (1), and shall use the results of such an exam-
ination provided by the Secretary of Defense for purposes 
of making a determination with respect to a claim for dis-
ability compensation.’’. 
Æ 
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