[Congressional Bills 103th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2285 Introduced in House (IH)]

103d CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2285

  To amend chapter 17 of title 38, United States Code, to improve the 
Department of Veterans Affairs program of sexual trauma counseling for 
veterans and to improve certain Department of Veterans Affairs programs 
                          for women veterans.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 26, 1993

   Mrs. Schroeder (for herself, Ms. Pelosi, Mr. Evans, Ms. Long, Ms. 
 Norton, Mrs. Lloyd, Mr. Oberstar, Mr. Waxman, Mr. Gutierrez, and Mr. 
   Kennedy) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                     Committee on Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To amend chapter 17 of title 38, United States Code, to improve the 
Department of Veterans Affairs program of sexual trauma counseling for 
veterans and to improve certain Department of Veterans Affairs programs 
                          for women veterans.

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

SECTION 1. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS SEXUAL TRAUMA COUNSELING 
              PROGRAM.

    (a) Extension of Period of Authority To Provide Sexual Trauma 
Counseling.--Subsection (a) of section 1720D of title 38, United States 
Code, is amended--
            (1) by striking out ``December 31, 1995,'' in paragraph (1) 
        and inserting in lieu thereof ``December 31, 1998,''; and
            (2) by striking out ``December 31, 1994,'' in paragraph (3) 
        and inserting in lieu thereof ``December 31, 1998,''.
    (b) Period of Eligibility To Seek Counseling.--(1) Such subsection 
is further amended--
            (A) by striking out paragraph (2); and
            (B) by redesignating paragraph (3) (as amended by 
        subsection (a)(2)) as paragraph (2).
    (2) Section 102(b) of the Veterans Health Care Act of 1992 (Public 
Law 102-585; 106 Stat. 4946; 38 U.S.C. 1720D note) is repealed.
    (c) Repeal of Limitation on Period of Receipt of Counseling.--
Section 1720D of title 38, United States Code, is further amended--
            (1) by striking out subsection (b); and
            (2) by redesignating subsections (c), (d), and (e) as 
        subsections (b), (c), and (d), respectively.
    (d) Increased Priority of Care.--Section 1712(i) of title 38, 
United States Code, is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (1)--
                    (A) by inserting ``(A)'' after ``To a veteran''; 
                and
                    (B) by inserting ``, or (B) who is eligible for 
                counseling under section 1720D of this title, for the 
                purposes of such counseling'' before the period at the 
                end; and
            (2) in paragraph (2)--
                    (A) by striking out ``, (B)'' and inserting in lieu 
                thereof ``or (B)''; and
                    (B) by striking out ``, or (C)'' and all that 
                follows through ``such counseling''.
    (e) Program Revision.--(1) Section 1720D of title 38, United States 
Code, is further amended--
            (A) by striking out ``woman'' in subsection (a)(1);
            (B) by striking out ``women'' in subsection (b)(2)(C) and 
        in the first sentence of subsection (c), as redesignated by 
        subsection (c); and
            (C) by striking out ``women'' in subsection (c)(2), as so 
        redesignated, and inserting in lieu thereof ``individuals''.
    (2)(A) The heading of such section is amended to read as follows:
``Sec. 1720D. Counseling for sexual trauma''.
    (B) The item relating to such section in the table of sections at 
the beginning of chapter 17 of such title is amended to read as 
follows:

``1720D. Counseling for sexual trauma.''.
    (f) Information on Counseling by Telephone.--(1) Paragraph (1) of 
section 1720D(c) of title 38, United States Code, as redesignated by 
subsection (c) of this section, is amended by striking out ``may'' and 
inserting in lieu thereof ``shall''.
    (2) In providing information on counseling available to veterans 
through the information system required under section 1720D(c)(1) of 
title 38, United States Code (as amended by this section), the 
Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall ensure--
            (A) that the telephone system described in such section is 
        operated by Department of Veterans Affairs personnel who are 
        trained in the provision to persons who have experienced sexual 
        trauma of information about the care and services relating to 
        sexual trauma that are available to veterans in the communities 
        in which such veterans reside, including care and services 
        available under programs of the Department (including the care 
        and services available under section 1720D of such title) and 
        from non-Department agencies or organizations;
            (B) that such personnel are provided with information on 
        the care and services relating to sexual trauma that are 
        available to veterans and the locations in which such care and 
        services are available;
            (C) that such personnel refer veterans seeking such care 
        and services to appropriate providers of such care and services 
        (including care and services that are available in the 
        communities in which such veterans reside);
            (D) that the telephone system is operated in a manner that 
        protects the confidentiality of persons who place telephone 
        calls to the system; and
            (E) that the telephone system operates at all times.
    (3) The Secretary shall ensure that information about the 
availability of the telephone system is visibly posted in Department 
medical facilities and is advertised through public service 
announcements, pamphlets, and other means.
    (4) Not later than 18 months after the date of the enactment of 
this Act, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report on the 
operation of the telephone system required under section 1720D(c)(1) of 
title 38, United States Code (as so amended). The report shall set 
forth the following:
            (A) The number of telephone calls placed to the system 
        during the period covered by the report, with a separate 
        display of (i) the number of calls placed to the system from 
        each State (as such term is defined in section 101(20) of title 
        38, United States Code) during that period, and (ii) the number 
        of persons who placed more than one call to the system during 
        that period.
            (B) The types of sexual trauma described to personnel 
        operating the system by persons placing calls to the system.
            (C) A description of the difficulties, if any, experienced 
        by persons placing calls to the system in obtaining care and 
        services for sexual trauma in the communities in which such 
        persons live, including care and services available from the 
        Department and from non-Department agencies and organizations.
            (D) A description of the training provided to the personnel 
        operating the system.
            (E) The recommendations and plans of the Secretary for the 
        improvement of the system.
    (5) The Secretary shall commence operation of the telephone system 
required under section 1720D(c)(1) of title 38, United States Code (as 
so amended), not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of 
this Act.

SEC. 2. REPORT RELATING TO DETERMINATIONS OF SERVICE CONNECTION FOR 
              SEXUAL TRAUMA.

    (a) Report.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall submit to the 
Committees on Veterans' Affairs of the Senate and House of 
Representatives a report containing the Secretary's assessment of--
            (1) the difficulties that veterans encounter in obtaining 
        from the Department of Veterans Affairs determinations that 
        disabilities relating to sexual trauma resulting from events 
        that occurred during active duty are service-connected 
        disabilities; and
            (2) the extent to which Department personnel fail to make 
        determinations that such disabilities are service-connected 
        disabilities.
    (b) Recommendations.--The Secretary shall include in the report the 
Secretary's recommendations for actions to be taken to respond in a 
fair manner to the difficulties described in the report and to 
eliminate failures to make determinations that such disabilities are 
service-connected disabilities.
    (c) Definition.--In this section, the term ``sexual trauma'' means 
the immediate and long-term physical or psychological trauma resulting 
from rape, sexual assault, aggravated sexual abuse (as such term is 
described in section 2241 of title 18, United States Code), sexual 
harassment, or other act of sexual violence.
    (d) Deadline for Report.--The report required by this section shall 
be submitted not later than June 30, 1994.

SEC. 3. COORDINATORS OF WOMEN'S SERVICES.

    (a) Requirement of Full-time Service.--Section 108 of the Veterans 
Health Care Act of 1992 (Public Law 102-585; 106 Stat. 4948; 38 U.S.C. 
1710 note) is amended--
            (1) by inserting ``(a)'' before ``The Secretary''; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following:
    ``(b) Each official who serves in the position of coordinator of 
women's services under subsection (a) shall so serve on a full-time 
basis.''.
    (b) Additional Responsibilities.--Subsection (a) of such section 
(as designated by subsection (a) of this section) is further amended--
            (1) by redesignating paragraph (5) as paragraph (6); and
            (2) by inserting after paragraph (4) the following new 
        paragraph (5):
            ``(5) Facilitating communication between women veterans 
        coordinators under the jurisdiction of such regional 
        coordinator and the Under Secretary for Health and the 
        Secretary.''.
    (c) Support for Women's Services Coordinators.--The Secretary of 
Veterans Affairs shall take appropriate actions to ensure that--
            (1) sufficient funding is provided to each Department of 
        Veterans Affairs facility in order to permit the coordinator of 
        women's services to carry out the responsibilities of the 
        coordinator at the facility;
            (2) sufficient clerical and communications support is 
        provided to each such coordinator for that purpose; and
            (3) each such coordinator has direct access to the Director 
        or Chief of Staff of the facility to which the coordinator is 
        assigned.

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