[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 7335 Enrolled Bill (ENR)]

        H.R.7335

                    One Hundred Seventeenth Congress

                                 of the

                        United States of America


                          AT THE SECOND SESSION

           Begun and held at the City of Washington on Monday,
          the third day of January, two thousand and twenty-two


                                 An Act


 
 To improve coordination between the Veterans Health Administration and 
    the Veterans Benefits Administration with respect to claims for 
    compensation arising from military sexual trauma, 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 ``MST Claims Coordination Act''.
SEC. 2. VETERANS HEALTH ADMINISTRATION AND VETERANS BENEFITS 
ADMINISTRATION COORDINATION FOR CERTAIN CLAIMS ARISING FROM MILITARY 
SEXUAL TRAUMA.
    (a) Coordinated Provision of Materials.--
        (1) Required materials.--During or immediately after each 
    covered event, and together with each covered document, in a claim 
    for compensation arising from military sexual trauma experienced by 
    a covered individual, the Under Secretary for Benefits of the 
    Veterans Benefits Administration, in coordination with the Under 
    Secretary for Health of the Veterans Health Administration, shall 
    provide, to the covered individual--
            (A) outreach letters;
            (B) information on the Veterans Crisis Line;
            (C) information on how to make an appointment with a mental 
        health provider; and
            (D) other information on available resources relating to 
        military sexual trauma (including information on military 
        sexual trauma coordinators of the Veterans Health 
        Administration, mental health providers trained in military 
        sexual trauma issues, and peer support specialists).
        (2) Format of materials.--Materials described in paragraph (1) 
    may be provided electronically.
    (b) Automatic Notification System.--In a claim for compensation 
arising from military sexual trauma experienced by a veteran, if the 
veteran is enrolled in the patient enrollment system of the Department 
of Veterans Affairs under section 1705 of title 38, United States Code, 
and consents to the notification system under this subsection, the 
Under Secretary for Benefits shall automatically notify the Under 
Secretary for Health shortly before the veteran--
        (1) participates in any covered event; or
        (2) receives any covered document.
    (c) Implementation Deadline.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs 
shall implement this Act not later than 18 months after the date of the 
enactment of this Act.
    (d) Definitions.--In this section:
        (1) The term ``compensation'' has the meaning given that term 
    in section 101 of title 38, United States Code.
        (2) The term ``covered document'' means a determination 
    (including a rating determination) that the Secretary of Veterans 
    Affairs provides to the claimant in connection with a claim for 
    compensation.
        (3) The term ``covered event'' includes, with respect to a 
    claim for compensation--
            (A) a medical examination under section 5103A of title 38, 
        United States Code;
            (B) a hearing before the Board of Veterans' Appeals under 
        section 7107 of such title; and
            (C) any other event determined relevant by the Secretary of 
        Veterans Affairs.
        (4) The term ``covered individual'' means a former member of 
    the Armed Forces (as that term is defined in section 1720D of title 
    38, United States Code) who elects to receive materials under 
    subsection (a).
        (5) The term ``military sexual trauma'' has the meaning given 
    that term in section 1166 of title 38, United States Code.
        (6) The term ``Veterans Crisis Line'' means the toll-free 
    hotline for veterans established under section 1720F(h) of title 
    38, United States Code.

                               Speaker of the House of Representatives.

                            Vice President of the United States and    
                                               President of the Senate.