S. 4441 · 117th Congress
A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to provide for peer…
Full title
A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to provide for peer support specialists for claimants who are survivors of military sexual trauma, and for other purposes.
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Never voted on. It didn't reach a floor vote before the 117th Congress ended, so it expired. A bill has to be introduced again to be considered in a new Congress.
D
Cortez MastoSponsor9 cosponsors · 6 D, 3 R
R
Boozman
RB
D
Blumenthal
MH
D
Hirono
LM
R
Murkowski
KC
R
Cramer
DS
D
Stabenow
KG
D
Gillibrand
EW
D
Warren
RD
D
Durbin2 signed on when it was introduced; the rest joined later. Cosponsors who withdrew aren't shown.
This bill prescribes that a peer support specialist of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) must not be responsible for providing assistance to a veteran regarding a claim for compensation for a covered mental health condition (e.g., post-traumatic stress disorder) based on military sexual trauma (MST) experienced during active service.
What it does: CRS summary · Introduced in Senate · Jun 22, 2022
This bill prescribes that a peer support specialist of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) must not be responsible for providing assistance to a veteran regarding a claim for compensation for a covered mental health condition (e.g., post-traumatic stress disorder) based on military sexual trauma (MST) experienced during active service. Such specialists must only provide counseling services, guidance, and support and must not participate in the adjudication of the claim.
As part of the forms for claims for compensation for a covered mental health condition based on MST, the VA must include an option for a veteran to elect to be referred to a MST trauma coordinator at the VA facility closest to the veteran's residence.
Additionally, the VA must (1) ensure that its peer support specialists receive annual training on providing peer support regarding MST, and (2) provide annual training on the processing of claims for compensation for covered mental health conditions based on MST to its MST coordinators and peer specialists.
Written by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service. All summary versions on Congress.gov
About this bill and sources
Official title: A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to provide for peer support specialists for claimants who are survivors of military sexual trauma, and for other purposes.
Latest action (Jun 22, 2022): Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security · Origin: Senate · Introduced: Jun 22, 2022
Official page on Congress.gov · Bill text (GovInfo) · Status record (XML)
No recorded floor vote found.