Wounded Warrior Assistance Act of 2007

Bill: 110-s-1283
Sponsor: Sen. Pryor, Mark L. [D-AR]
Introduced: 2007-05-03 in the Senate
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security
Subjects: Administrative remedies
Ambulatory care
Armed forces reserves
Brain
Case management
Commerce
Congress
Congress and military policy
Congressional reporting requirements
Consumer complaints
Continuum of care
Counseling
Curricula
Defense budgets
Dental care
Department of Defense
Disability evaluation
Disability retirement
Disabled
Economics and Public Finance
Education
Electronic data interchange
Employee training
Executive reorganization
Families
Family services
Federal advisory bodies
Federal employees
Government Operations and Politics
Government contractors
Government paperwork
Government publicity
Government trust funds
Governmental investigations
Head injuries
Health
Health counseling
Health information systems
Health planning
Higher education
Hospital care
Housing and Community Development
Inspectors general
Iraq compilation
Labor and Employment
Law
Marines
Medical education
Medical personnel
Medical records
Mental health
Military dependents
Military discharges
Military hospitals
Military housing
Military medicine
Military pensions
Ombudsman
Patient satisfaction
Physical examinations
Physicians
Post-traumatic stress disorder
Public-private partnerships
Quality of care
Quality of life
Rehabilitation of the disabled
Reprogramming of appropriated funds
Retired military personnel
Science, Technology, Communications
Social Welfare
Suicide
Surveys
Telephone
Transfer of employees
Transportation and Public Works
Trauma care
Travel costs
Veterans' disability compensation
Veterans' hospitals
Veterans' medical care
Vocational rehabilitation
War casualties

Summary:
action_date: 2007-05-03
text: 
Wounded Warrior Assistance Act of 2007 - Requires a member of the Armed Forces (member) in an outpatient status at a military medical treatment facility (facility) to be assigned a medical care case manager and a service member advocate, each of whom have completed a training program and curriculum for such management.
 
Directs the Secretary of Defense to establish a: (1) Department of Defense (DOD)-wide Ombudsman Office; (2) toll-free hotline for reporting deficiencies in medical services and medical support facilities; (3) standardized training program and curriculum for military personnel and health care professionals involved in the disability evaluation system; and (4) pilot program to track and assist outpatient members who are still in need of medical treatment.
 
Requires the Secretary of the military department concerned to: (1) notify appropriate Members of Congress of the hospitalization of members evacuated from a theater of combat; and (2) ensure that members appearing before medical evaluation boards have access to an independent medical advocate.
 
Requires reports concerning: (1) enhanced training for individuals providing assistance to recovering members; (2) the adequacy and quality of medical and medical-support facilities at each military installation; and (3) traumatic brain injury classifications.
 
Directs the Secretary to: (1) provide a process for the transition of members from the DOD health care and disability systems to those of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA); (2) allow reserve members to use facilities closest to home for the treatment of injuries sustained in a combat theater of operations; (3) develop a plan and conduct research for reducing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in combat veterans; (4) study the provision of support services for families of recovering members; (5) evaluate the Polytrauma Liaison Officer/Non-Commissioned Officer program; (6) study waiting periods for appointments at VA facilities; and (7) study the development of a joint soldier tracking system for recovering members.
 
Establishes the: (1) Department of Defense Medical Support Fund; and (2) Oversight Board for Wounded Warriors.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2007-05-03
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services.
action_date: 2007-05-03
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S5570-5571)
action_date: 2007-05-03
text: Introduced in Senate