Wounded Warrior Research Enhancement Act
Bill: H.R.8686 | Sponsor: Rep. Cartwright, Matt (D-PA)
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security

Summary:
Wounded Warrior Research Enhancement Act
This bill requires the Department of Defense to award grants to advance orthotic and prosthetic care for members of the Armed Forces, veterans, and civilians who have undergone amputation, traumatic brain injury, and other serious injuries resulting from combat or military experience. The grants must fund research on (1) outcomes for such patients, (2) materials used in orthotics and prosthetics, and (3) improving existing orthotic and prosthetic technology and the development of new technology.

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 Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Wounded Warrior Research 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 civilians who have undergone amputation, 
traumatic brain injury, and other serious physical injury as a result 
of combat or military experience.
    (b) Grants for Research on Patient Outcomes.--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 effective in 
        treating the physical effects of traumatic brain injury.
            (4) The patients that benefit most from particular 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
                    (D) other issues that arise during the aging 
                process.
    (c) Grants on Materials Research.--The Secretary 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 improving quality of life 
        and health outcomes for individuals with limb loss.
            (2) The development of new materials used in orthotics and 
        prosthetics for the purpose of improving quality of life and 
        health outcomes for individuals with limb loss.
    (d) Grants on Technology Research.--The Secretary 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 individuals with limb loss.
            (2) The development of new orthotic and prosthetic 
        technology and devices for the purpose of improving quality of 
        life and health outcomes for individuals with limb loss.
    (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 accompanied by such information as the 
Secretary shall require.
    (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 subsection.
    (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 research that 
        identifies and prioritizes the most significant 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 members 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.
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