Title: To amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for the eligibility for beneficiary travel for veterans seeking treatment or care for military sexual trauma in specialized outpatient or residential programs at facilities of the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes.
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security

Summary:
This bill provides eligibility for beneficiary travel through the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to a veteran whose travel to a specialized outpatient or residential program at a VA facility is in connection with treatment or care for military sexual trauma.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 713 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 713

 To amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for the eligibility 
   for beneficiary travel for veterans seeking treatment or care for 
    military sexual trauma in specialized outpatient or residential 
 programs at facilities of the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for 
                            other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 23, 2019

Mrs. Walorski (for herself and Ms. Kuster of New Hampshire) introduced 
 the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans' 
                                Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for the eligibility 
   for beneficiary travel for veterans seeking treatment or care for 
    military sexual trauma in specialized outpatient or residential 
 programs at facilities of the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for 
                            other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. BENEFICIARY TRAVEL FOR VETERANS SEEKING TREATMENT OR CARE 
              FOR MILITARY SEXUAL TRAUMA IN SPECIALIZED OUTPATIENT OR 
              RESIDENTIAL PROGRAMS OF THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS 
              AFFAIRS.

    (a) Eligibility.--Section 111 of title 38, United States Code, is 
amended--
            (1) in subsection (b)(1), by adding at the end the 
        following subparagraph:
            ``(H) A veteran whose travel to a specialized outpatient or 
        residential program at a Department facility is in connection 
        with treatment or care for military sexual trauma.''; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following new subsection:
    ``(h) In this section:
            ``(1) The term `military sexual trauma' means psychological 
        trauma, which in the judgment of a Department mental health 
        professional, resulted from a physical assault of a sexual 
        nature, battery of a sexual nature, or sexual harassment which 
        occurred while the veteran was serving on active duty or active 
        duty for training.
            ``(2) The term `sexual harassment' means repeated, 
        unsolicited verbal or physical contact of a sexual nature which 
        is threatening in character.''.
    (b) Effective Date.--The amendments made by subsection (a) shall 
apply with respect to travel occurring after the date of the enactment 
of this Act.
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