Title: Military SAVE Act
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security

Summary:
Military Sexual Assault Victims Empowerment Act or the Military SAVE Act
This bill addresses care for covered veterans who are seeking counseling, care, or services related to sexual trauma determined by a Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) health care professional to have occurred while the veteran was on active duty or in active or inactive training. A covered veteran is a veteran who is (1) enrolled in the VA health care system; or (2) not enrolled in the VA health care system but is otherwise entitled to hospital care, medical services, or extended care services due to a specified disability.
The bill requires the VA to provide hospital care, medical services, and extended care services to a covered veteran at a non-VA provider under the Veterans Community Care Program if such veteran is seeking counseling, care, or services related to such sexual trauma. The decision to receive such care from a non-VA provider shall be at the election of the veteran.
The VA must provide information regarding the counseling, care, and services available through the VA to the covered veteran who is seeking counseling, care, or services related to sexual trauma.
The bill also authorizes the VA to provide counseling and treatment for any condition determined to have resulted from a sexual trauma that occurred while the covered veteran was on active duty or in active or inactive training (previously only psychological trauma was eligible).

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5757 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 5757

To amend title 38, United States Code, to improve the care furnished to 
                 veterans with military sexual trauma.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            February 5, 2020

 Mr. Barr (for himself and Ms. Gabbard) introduced the following bill; 
        which was referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To amend title 38, United States Code, to improve the care furnished to 
                 veterans with military sexual trauma.

    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 ``Military Sexual Assault Victims 
Empowerment Act'' or the ``Military SAVE Act''.

SEC. 2. IMPROVEMENTS TO CARE FOR VETERANS WITH MILITARY SEXUAL TRAUMA.

    (a) Community Care.--Section 1703(d) of title 38, United States 
Code, is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (1)--
                    (A) in subparagraph (D), by striking ``; or'' and 
                inserting a semicolon;
                    (B) in subparagraph (E), by striking the period at 
                the end and inserting ``; or''; and
                    (C) by adding at the end the following new 
                subparagraph:
                    ``(F) a covered veteran is seeking counseling, 
                care, or services for which the person is eligible 
                under section 1720D of this title.'';
            (2) in paragraph (3)--
                    (A) by striking ``subparagraph (C) of such 
                paragraph, or that'' and inserting ``subparagraph (C) 
                of such paragraph, that''; and
                    (B) by inserting ``or that the covered veteran is 
                seeking counseling or care or services for which the 
                person is eligible under section 1720D of this title,'' 
                after ``subparagraph (D) of such paragraph,''; and
            (3) by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
    ``(4) The Secretary shall provide to covered veterans described in 
paragraph (1)(F) information regarding the counseling, care, and 
services available to the covered veteran through the Department with 
respect to the counseling, care, and services described in such 
paragraph.''.
    (b) Improvements to Military Sexual Trauma Treatment Authority.--
Section 1720D of such title is amended--
            (1) in subsection (a)--
                    (A) paragraph (1), by striking ``overcome 
                psychological trauma, which in the judgment of a mental 
                health professional'' and inserting ``treat any 
                condition, which in the judgment of a health care 
                professional'';
                    (B) in paragraph (2)(A), by striking ``overcome 
                psychological trauma'' and inserting ``treat 
                conditions'';
                    (C) by amending paragraph (3) to read as follows:
    ``(3) A veteran may receive counseling and care and services under 
this section through the Veterans Community Care program in accordance 
with section 1703(d) of this title.''; and
                    (D) in subsection (b)(2), by striking 
                ``counseling'' each place it appears and inserting 
                ``counseling and care and services''.
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