110TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1538
AN ACT 
To amend title 10, United States Code, to improve the 
management of medical care, personnel actions, and 
quality of life issues for members of the Armed Forces 
who are receiving medical care in an outpatient status, 
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; TABLE OF CONTENTS. 
(a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the 
‘‘Wounded Warrior Assistance Act of 2007’’. 
(b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—The table of contents of 
this Act is as follows:
Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents. 
Sec. 2. Definitions. 
TITLE I—WOUNDED WARRIOR ASSISTANCE 
Sec. 101. Improvements to medical and dental care for members of the Armed 
Forces assigned to hospitals in an outpatient status. 
Sec. 102. Establishment of a Department of Defense-wide Ombudsman Office. 
Sec. 103. Establishment of toll-free hot line for reporting deficiencies in med-
ical-related support facilities and expedited response to reports 
of deficiencies. 
Sec. 104. Notification to Congress of hospitalization of combat wounded service 
members. 
Sec. 105. Independent medical advocate for members before medical evaluation 
boards. 
Sec. 106. Training and workload for physical evaluation board liaison officers. 
Sec. 107. Standardized training program and curriculum for Department of 
Defense disability evaluation system. 
Sec. 108. Improved training for health care professionals, medical care case 
managers, and service member advocates on particular condi-
tions of recovering service members. 
Sec. 109. Pilot program to establish an Army Wounded Warrior Battalion at 
an appropriate active duty base. 
Sec. 110. Criteria for removal of member from temporary disability retired list. 
Sec. 111. Improved transition of members of the Armed Forces to Department 
of Veterans Affairs upon retirement or separation. 
Sec. 112. Establishment of Medical Support Fund for support of members of 
the Armed Forces returning to military service or civilian life. 
Sec. 113. Oversight Board for Wounded Warriors. 
Sec. 114. Option for members of reserve components to use military medical 
treatment facilities closest to home for certain injuries. 
Sec. 115. Plans and research for reducing post traumatic stress disorder. 
TITLE II—STUDIES AND REPORTS 
Sec. 201. Annual report on military medical facilities. 
Sec. 202. Access of recovering service members to adequate outpatient residen-
tial facilities. 
Sec. 203. Evaluation and report on Department of Defense and Department of 
Veterans Affairs disability evaluation systems. 
Sec. 204. Study and report on support services for families of recovering service 
members. 
Sec. 205. Report on traumatic brain injury classifications. 
Sec. 206. Evaluation of the Polytrauma Liaison Officer/Non-Commissioned Of-
ficer Program.
Sec. 207. Study and report on waiting periods for appointments at Department 
of Veterans Affairs medical facilities. 
Sec. 208. Study and report on standard soldier patient tracking system. 
TITLE III—GENERAL PROVISIONS 
Sec. 301. Moratorium on conversion to contractor performance of Department 
of Defense functions at military medical facilities. 
Sec. 302. Prohibition on transfer of resources from medical care. 
Sec. 303. Increase in physicians at hospitals of the Department of Veterans Af-
fairs. 
Sec. 304. Veterans beneficiary travel program.
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) CONGRESSIONAL DEFENSE COMMITTEES.—
The term ‘‘congressional defense committees’’ has 
the meaning given that term in section 101(a)(16) 
of title 10, United States Code. 
(2) DISABILITY
EVALUATION
SYSTEM.—The 
term ‘‘disability evaluation system’’ means the De-
partment of Defense system or process for evalu-
ating the nature of and extent of disabilities affect-
ing members of the armed forces (other than the 
Coast Guard) and comprised of medical evaluation 
boards, physical evaluation boards, counseling of 
members, and final disposition by appropriate per-
sonnel authorities, as operated by the Secretaries of 
the military departments, and, in the case of the 
Coast Guard, a similar system or process operated 
by the Secretary of Homeland Security. 
(3) FAMILY MEMBER.—The term ‘‘family mem-
ber’’, with respect to a recovering service member,
has the meaning given that term in section 411h(b) 
of title 37, United States Code. 
(4) RECOVERING SERVICE MEMBER.—The term 
‘‘recovering service member’’ means a member of the 
Armed Forces, including a member of the National 
Guard or a Reserve, who is undergoing medical 
treatment, recuperation, or therapy, or is otherwise 
in medical hold or holdover status, for an injury, ill-
ness, or disease incurred or aggravated while on ac-
tive duty in the Armed Forces. 
(5) MEDICAL CARE.—The term ‘‘medical care’’ 
includes mental health care. 
TITLE I—WOUNDED WARRIOR 
ASSISTANCE 
SEC. 101. IMPROVEMENTS TO MEDICAL AND DENTAL CARE 
FOR MEMBERS OF THE ARMED FORCES AS-
SIGNED TO HOSPITALS IN AN OUTPATIENT 
STATUS. 
(a) MEDICAL AND DENTAL CARE OF MEMBERS AS-
SIGNED TO HOSPITALS IN AN OUTPATIENT STATUS.—
(1) IN
GENERAL.—Chapter 55 of title 10, 
United States Code, is amended by inserting after 
section 1074k the following new section: