,,ii  #aacth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #aeha  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,october #bh1  
#bjac,mr4 ,sanders introduced the       
following bill2 which was read twice and
 referred to the ,committee on          
,veterans' ,affairs  ,a ,,bill  ,to     
authorize the ,secretary of ,veterans   
,affairs to provide counseling and      
treatment for sexual trauma to members  
of the ,armed ,forces1 to require the   
,secretary to screen veterans for       
domestic abuse1 to require the          
,secretary to submit reports on military
 sexual trauma and domestic abuse1 and  
for other purposes4  #a4 ,short title   
,this ,act may be cited as the          
,survivors of ,military ,sexual ,assault
 and ,domestic ,abuse ,act of #bjac4    
#b4 ,provision of counseling and        
treatment for sexual trauma by the      
,department of ,veterans ,affairs to    
members of the ,armed ,forces  7a7      
,expansion of coverage to members of the
 ,armed ,forces ,subsection 7a7 of      

section #agbj;,d of title #ch1 ,united  
,states ,code1 is amended-- 7#a7 by     
redesignating paragraph 7#b7 as         
paragraph 7#c72  7#b7 by inserting after
 paragraph 7#a7 the following new       
paragraph 7#b73  7#b7 7,a7 ,in operating
 the program required by paragraph 7#a71
 the ,secretary may1 in consultation    
with the ,secretary of ,defense1 provide
 counseling and care and services to    
members of the ,armed ,forces 7including
 members of the ,national ,guard and    
,reserves7 on active duty to overcome   
psychological trauma described in that  
paragraph4  7,b7 ,a member described in 
subparagraph 7,a7 shall not be required 
to obtain a referral before receiving   
counseling and care and services under  
this paragraph4  2 and  7#c7 in         
paragraph 7#c71 as redesignated by      
paragraph 7#a7-- 7,a7 by striking a     
veteran and inserting an individual2 and
  7,b7 by striking that veteran each    
place it appears and inserting that     
individual4  7b7 ,information to members

 on availability of counseling and      
services ,subsection 7c7 of such section
 is amended-- 7#a7 by striking to       
veterans each place it appears2 and     
7#b7 in paragraph 7#c71 by inserting    
members of the ,armed ,forces and before
 individuals4  7c7 ,inclusion of members
 in reports on counseling and services  
,subsection 7e7 of such section is      
amended-- 7#a7 in the matter preceding  
paragraph 7#a71 by striking to veterans2
  7#b7 in paragraph 7#b7-- 7,a7 by      
striking women veterans and inserting   
individuals2 and  7,b7 by striking      
training under subsection 7d74 and      
inserting 8training under subsection    
7d71 disaggregated by--  7,a7 veterans2 
7,b7 members of the ,armed ,forces      
7including members of the ,national     
,guard and ,reserves7 on active duty2   
and  7,c7 for each of subparagraphs 7,a7
 and 7,b7-- 7i7 men2 and  7ii7 women4  2
  7#c7 in paragraph 7#d71 by striking   
veterans and inserting individuals2 and 
7#d7 in paragraph 7#e7-- 7,a7 by        

striking women veterans and inserting   
individuals2 and  7,b7 by inserting 1   
including specific recommendations for  
individuals specified in subparagraphs  
7,a71 7,b71 and 7,c7 of paragraph 7#b7  
before the period at the end4  #c4      
,department of ,veterans ,affairs       
screening mechanism to detect incidents 
of domestic abuse  7a7 ,in general ,not 
later than #edj days after the date of  
the enactment of this ,act1 the         
,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs shall  
develop and implement a screening       
mechanism to be used when a veteran     
seeks healthcare services from the      
,department of ,veterans ,affairs to    
detect if the veteran has been a victim 
of domestic abuse for purposes of       
improving the treatment of the veteran  
and assessing the prevalence of domestic
 abuse in the veteran population4  7b7  
,domestic abuse defined ,in this        
section1 the term domestic abuse means  
behavior with respect to an individual  
that-- 7#a7 constitutes-- 7,a7 a pattern

 of behavior resulting in physical or   
emotional abuse1 economic control1 or   
interference with the personal liberty  
of that individual2  7,b7 a violation of
 ,federal or ,state law involving the   
use1 attempted use1 or threatened use of
 force or violence against that         
individual2 or  7,c7 a violation of a   
lawful order issued for the protection  
of that individual2 and  7#b7 is        
committed by a person who-- 7,a7 is a   
current or former spouse or domestic    
partner of that individual2  7,b7 shares
 a child in common with that individual2
  7,c7 is a current or former intimate  
partner of that individual that shares  
or has shared a common domicile with    
that individual2  7,d7 is a caregiver of
 that individual as defined in section  
#agbj;,g7d7 of title #ch1 ,united       
,states ,code2 or  7,e7 is in any other 
type of relationship with that          
individual that the ,secretary may      
specify for purposes of this section4   
#d4 ,reports on military sexual trauma  

and domestic abuse  7a7 ,report on      
services available for military sexual  
trauma in the ,department of ,veterans  
,affairs ,not later than one year after 
the date of the enactment of this ,act1 
the ,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs    
shall submit to the ,committee on       
,veterans' ,affairs of the ,senate and  
the ,committee on ,veterans' ,affairs of
 the ,house of ,representatives a report
 on the treatment and services available
 from the ,department of ,veterans      
,affairs for male veterans who          
experience military sexual trauma       
compared to such treatment and services 
available to female veterans who        
experience military sexual trauma4  7b7 
,report on domestic abuse among veterans
 ,the ,secretary shall include with the 
report submitted under subsection 7a7 a 
report on domestic abuse among veterans 
that includes the following3 7#a7 ,a    
summary of the types1 outcomes1 and     
circumstances of incidents of domestic  
abuse that have been reported by        

veterans during the two-year period     
preceding the submission of the report4 
7#b7 ,a summary of the treatments       
available from the ,department for      
veterans who experience domestic abuse  
and an assessment of the effectiveness  
of those treatments4  7#c7 ,whether an  
incident of military sexual trauma or   
sexual trauma experienced after the age 
of #ah may increase the risk of domestic
 abuse4  7#d7 ,any other issues that the
 ,secretary determines appropriate4  7c7
 ,reports on transition of military     
sexual trauma and domestic abuse        
treatment from ,department of ,defense  
to ,department of ,veterans ,affairs    
,not later than one year after the date 
of the enactment of this ,act1 and      
annually thereafter for five years1 the 
,department of ,veterans                
,affairs-,department of ,defense ,joint 
,executive ,committee established by    
section #cbj7;a7 of title #ch1 ,united  
,states ,code1 shall submit to the      
appropriate committees of ,congress a   

report on military sexual trauma and    
domestic abuse that includes the        
following3 7#a7 ,the processes and      
procedures utilized by the ,department  
of ,veterans ,affairs and the           
,department of ,defense to facilitate   
transition of treatment of individuals  
who have experienced military sexual    
trauma or domestic abuse from treatment 
provided by the ,department of ,defense 
to treatment provided by the ,department
 of ,veterans ,affairs4  7#b7 ,a        
description and assessment of the       
collaboration between the ,department of
 ,veterans ,affairs and the ,department 
of ,defense in assisting veterans in    
filing claims for disabilities related  
to military sexual trauma or domestic   
abuse1 including permitting veterans    
access to information and evidence      
necessary to develop or support such    
claims4  7d7 ,definitions ,in this      
section3 7#a7 ,appropriate committees of
 congress ,the term appropriate         
committees of ,congress means-- 7,a7 the

 ,committee on ,veterans' ,affairs and  
the ,committee on ,armed ,services of   
the ,senate2 and  7,b7 the ,committee on
 ,veterans' ,affairs and the ,committee 
on ,armed ,services of the ,house of    
,representatives4  7#b7 ,domestic abuse 
,the term domestic abuse has the meaning
 given that term in section #c7;b7 of   
this ,act4  7#c7 ,military sexual trauma
 ,the term military sexual trauma means 
psychological trauma1 which in the      
judgment of a mental health professional
 employed by the ,department1 resulted  
from a physical assault of a sexual     
nature1 battery of a sexual nature1 or  
sexual harassment which occurred while  
the veteran was serving on active duty  
or active duty for training4  7#d7      
,sexual harassment ,the term sexual     
harassment means repeated1 unsolicited  
verbal or physical contact of a sexual  
nature which is threatening in          
character4  7#e7 ,sexual trauma ,the    
term sexual trauma shall have the       
meaning given that term by the          

,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs for    
purposes of this section4