[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 82 (Tuesday, May 24, 2016)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3119-S3120]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 4138. Mr. PETERS (for himself, Mr. Daines, Mr. Tillis, and Mrs. 
Gillibrand) submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by him to 
the bill S. 2943, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2017 for 
military activities of the Department of Defense, for military 
construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy, 
to prescribe military personnel

[[Page S3120]]

strengths for such fiscal year, and for other purposes; which was 
ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

       After section 536, insert the following:

     SEC. 536A. TREATMENT BY DISCHARGE REVIEW BOARDS OF CLAIMS 
                   ASSERTING POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER OR 
                   TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY IN CONNECTION WITH 
                   COMBAT OR SEXUAL TRAUMA AS A BASIS FOR REVIEW 
                   OF DISCHARGE.

       Section 1553(d) of title 10, United States Code, is amended 
     by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
       ``(3)(A) In addition to the requirements of paragraph (1) 
     and (2), in the case of a former member described in 
     subparagraph (B), the Board shall--
       ``(i) review medical evidence of the Secretary of Veterans 
     Affairs or a civilian health care provider that is presented 
     by the former member; and
       ``(ii) review the case with liberal consideration to the 
     former member that post-traumatic stress disorder or 
     traumatic brain injury potentially contributed to the 
     circumstances resulting in the discharge of a lesser 
     characterization.
       ``(B) A former member described in this subparagraph is a 
     former member described in paragraph (1) or a former member 
     whose application for relief is based in whole or in part on 
     matters relating to post-traumatic stress disorder or 
     traumatic brain injury as supporting rationale, or as 
     justification for priority consideration, whose post-
     traumatic stress disorder or traumatic brain injury is 
     related to combat or military sexual trauma, as determined by 
     the Secretary concerned.''.
                                 ______