[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2941 Introduced in House (IH)]
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116th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 2941
To direct the Secretary of Defense and the Secretaries of the military
departments to encourage female members who separate or retire from the
Armed Forces during fiscal year 2020 to participate in the Women's
Health Transition Training pilot program of the Department of Veterans
Affairs, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
May 23, 2019
Ms. Houlahan (for herself, Mr. Cisneros, and Ms. Stefanik) introduced
the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans'
Affairs, and in addition to the Committee on Armed Services, for a
period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for
consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the
committee concerned
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To direct the Secretary of Defense and the Secretaries of the military
departments to encourage female members who separate or retire from the
Armed Forces during fiscal year 2020 to participate in the Women's
Health Transition Training pilot program 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. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Servicewomen's Health Transition
Training Act of 2019''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS; SENSE OF CONGRESS.
(a) Findings.--Congress finds the following:
(1) Women are now the fastest growing cohort of veterans
and are expected to double in population by 2045.
(2) Women comprise approximately 2,000,000 veterans in the
United States and 10 percent of the total veteran population.
(3) Women veterans are nearly two times more likely to
commit suicide than civilian women.
(4) On average, women do not connect with the Veterans
Health Administration until 2.7 years after separating from
military service.
(5) Female veterans have a higher rate of homelessness than
their male counterparts.
(6) One in five female members of the Armed Forces report
experiencing military sexual trauma.
(b) Statement of Policy Objectives.--It is in the national interest
of the United States to ensure female veterans receive a high quality
of care by promoting programs and initiatives that--
(1) educate women separating from active duty in the Armed
Forces of the services available to them through the Department
of Veterans Affairs;
(2) encourage women to enroll in the system of enrollment
of the Veterans Health Administration; and
(3) increase the number of women receiving health care from
the Veterans Health Administration.
(c) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of the Congress that the
Department of Veterans Affairs, in piloting the Women's Health
Transition Assistance Program, has found that the pilot program has--
(1) educated hundreds of women, 99 percent of whom would
recommend the program to others, in the process of separating
or retiring from the Armed Forces, of the care they can receive
from the Department of Veterans Affairs;
(2) improved awareness among pilot program participants of
services available from the Department of Veterans Affairs by
56 percent; and
(3) increased pilot program participants' intent to enroll
with the Department of Veterans Affairs by 13.1 percent,
increased pilot program participants' intent to use Veteran
Affairs health care services by 15.6 percent, and increased
pilot program participants' intent to use Veterans Affairs
suicide prevention services, if needed, by 19.3 percent.
SEC. 3. PARTICIPATION IN THE WOMEN'S HEALTH TRANSITION TRAINING PILOT
PROGRAM OF THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS.
(a) In General.--The Secretary of Defense shall direct--
(1) the Secretaries of the military departments to
encourage female members who separate or retire from the Armed
Forces during fiscal year 2020 to participate in the Women's
Health Transition Training pilot program of the Department of
Veterans Affairs at locations selected by the Secretaries of
the military departments; and
(2) commanders of military installations that have centers
for the Transition Assistance Program under sections 1142 and
1144 of title 10, United States Code, to advertise the Women's
Health Transition Training pilot program to female members
described in paragraph (1).
(b) Report.--Not later than February 1, 2021, the Secretary of
Defense, in consultation with the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, shall
submit to Congress a report regarding participation described in
subsection (a). The report shall include the following:
(1) The number of participants in the pilot program.
(2) The number of pilot program sessions and the locations
at which the sessions were held.
(3) Available metrics including course satisfaction and
improved awareness of health services furnished by the
Secretary of Veterans Affairs.
(4) Barriers to expanding the pilot program to reach more
female members of the Armed Forces.
(5) Barriers to offering the pilot program online to reach
female members of the Armed Forces who cannot attend in person.
(6) Recommendations for legislation to improve or expand
the pilot program.
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