[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6125 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 6125

To direct the Secretaries of Defense and Veterans Affairs to coordinate 
                support for survivors of sexual trauma.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 5, 2020

 Ms. Speier (for herself, Ms. Brownley of California, Mr. Pappas, Mr. 
 Cohen, Mr. McGovern, Mr. Danny K. Davis of Illinois, Mr. DeFazio, and 
 Ms. Norton) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
   Committee on Armed Services, and in addition to the Committee on 
 Veterans' Affairs, 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 Secretaries of Defense and Veterans Affairs to coordinate 
                support for survivors of 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 ``Supporting Survivors of Military 
Sexual Trauma Act of 2020''.

SEC. 2. COORDINATION OF SUPPORT FOR SURVIVORS OF SEXUAL TRAUMA.

    (a) In General.--Not later than one year after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretaries of Defense and Veterans Affairs 
shall jointly develop, implement, and maintain a standard of 
coordinated care for members of the Armed Forces who are survivors of 
sexual trauma. Such standard shall include the following:
    (b) Minimum Elements.--The standard developed and implemented under 
subsection (a) by the Secretaries of Defense and Veterans Affairs shall 
include the following:
            (1) Information for members of the armed forces.--The 
        Secretary of Defense shall ensure that--
                    (A) information is posted in each facility of the 
                Department of Defense regarding services furnished by 
                the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to survivors of 
                sexual trauma; and
                    (B) Sexual Assault Response Coordinators and 
                Uniformed Victim Advocates receive annual training on 
                resources of the Department of Veterans Affairs 
                regarding sexual trauma.
            (2) Coordination between staff of the departments.--The 
        Secretaries shall ensure that a Sexual Assault Response 
        Coordinator or Uniformed Victim Advocate of the Department of 
        Defense who receives a report of an instance of sexual trauma 
        connects each survivor to the Military Sexual Trauma 
        Coordinator of the Department of Veterans Affairs at the 
        facility of that Department nearest to the residence of that 
        survivor.
    (c) Reports.--
            (1) Report on residential treatment.--Not later than 180 
        days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the 
        Secretaries of Defense and Veterans Affairs shall provide a 
        report to the appropriate committees of Congress regarding the 
        availability of residential treatment programs for survivors of 
        sexual trauma, including--
                    (A) barriers to access for such programs; and
                    (B) resources required to reduce such barriers.
            (2) Initial report.--Upon implementation of the standard 
        under subsection (a), the Secretaries of Defense and Veterans 
        Affairs shall jointly submit to the appropriate committees of 
        Congress a report on the standard.
            (3) Progress reports.--Not later than 180 days after 
        submitting the initial report under paragraph (2), and on 
        December 1 of each subsequent year, the Secretaries of Defense 
        and Veterans Affairs shall jointly submit to the appropriate 
        committees of Congress a report on the progress of the 
        Secretaries in implementing and improving the standard.
            (4) Updates.--Whenever the Secretaries of Defense and 
        Veterans Affairs update the standard developed under subsection 
        (a), the Secretaries shall jointly submit to the appropriate 
        committees of Congress a report on such update, including a 
        comprehensive and detailed description of such update and the 
        reasons for such update.
    (d) Definitions.--In this Act:
            (1) The term ``sexual trauma'' means psychological trauma 
        described in section 1720D(a)(1) of title 38, United States 
        Code.
            (2) The term ``appropriate committees of Congress'' means--
                    (A) the Committees on Veterans' Affairs of the 
                House of Representatives and the Senate; and
                    (B) the Committees on Armed Services of the House 
                of Representatives and the Senate.
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