,,ii  #aac? ,,congress  #a/ ,session    
,s4 #bid  ,,9 ,,! ,,s5ate ,,( ,,!       
,,unit$ ,,/ates  ,febru>y #ac1 #bjac    
,mr4 ,te/] 7= himself1 ,mr4 ,baucus1    
,mr4 ,begi*1 ,mr4 ,blum5?al1 ,mrs4      
,gillibr&1 & ,mrs4 ,%ahe57 introduc$ !  
foll[+ bill2 :i* 0 read twice & ref]r$  
to ! ,committee on ,vet]ans' ,affairs   
,a ,,bill  ,to am5d title #ch1 ,unit$   
,/ates ,code1 to improve ! disability   
comp5sation evaluation proc$ure ( !     
,secret>y ( ,vet]ans ,affairs = vet]ans 
) m5tal heal? conditions relat$ to      
milit>y sexual trauma1 & = o!r purposes4
  #a4 ,%ort title ,?is ,act may be cit$ 
z ! ,ru? ,moore ,act ( #bjac4  #b4 ,/&>d
 ( pro( = s]vice-connection ( m5tal     
heal? conditions relat$ to milit>y      
sexual trauma  7a7 ,/&>d ( pro( ,section
 #aaed ( title #ch1 ,unit$ ,/ates ,code1
 is am5d$ by add+ at ! end ! foll[+ new 
subsection3  7c7 7#a7 ,9 ! case ( any   
vet]an :o claims t a cov]$ m5tal heal?  
condition 0 incurr$ 9 or aggravat$ by   
milit>y sexual trauma dur+ active       

milit>y1 naval1 or air s]vice1 !        
,secret>y %all accept z suffici5t pro( (
 s]vice-connection a diagnosis ( su*    
m5tal heal? condition by a m5tal heal?  
pr(essional toge!r ) satisfactory lay or
 o!r evid5ce ( su* trauma & an op9ion by
 ! m5tal heal? pr(essional t su* cov]$  
m5tal heal? condition is relat$ to su*  
milit>y sexual trauma1 if consi/5t ) !  
circum/ances1 conditions1 or h>d%ips (  
su* s]vice1 not)/&+ ! fact t !re is no  
(ficial record ( su* incurr5ce or       
aggravation 9 su* s]vice1 &1 to t end1  
%all resolve e reasonable d\bt 9 favor (
 ! vet]an4 ,s]vice-connection ( su*     
cov]$ m5tal heal? condition may be      
rebutt$ by cle> & conv9c+ evid5ce to !  
contr>y4 ,! reasons = grant+ or d5y+    
s]vice-connection 9 ea* case %all be    
record$ 9 full4  7#b7 ,= purposes ( ?is 
subsection1 9 ! abs5ce ( cle> & conv9c+ 
evid5ce to ! contr>y1 & provid$ t !     
claim$ milit>y sexual trauma is consi/5t
 ) ! circum/ances1 conditions1 or       
h>d%ips ( ! vet]an's s]vice1 ! vet]an's 

lay te/imony alone may e/abli% !        
occurr5ce ( ! claim$ milit>y sexual     
trauma4  7#c7 ,9 ?is subsection3  7,a7  
,! t]m cov]$ m5tal heal? condition means
 po/-traumatic /ress disord]1 anxiety1  
depression1 or o!r m5tal heal? diagnosis
 describ$ 9 ! curr5t v]sion ( !         
,diagno/ic & ,/ati/ical ,manual ( ,m5tal
 ,disord]s publi%$ by ! ,am]ican        
,psy*iatric ,association t ! ,secret>y  
det]m9es to be relat$ to milit>y sexual 
trauma4  7,b7 ,! t]m milit>y sexual     
trauma means1 ) respect to a vet]an1    
psy*ological trauma1 :i* 9 ! judgm5t ( a
 m5tal heal? pr(essional1 result$ f a   
physical assault ( a sexual nature1     
batt]y ( a sexual nature1 or sexual     
h>assm5t :i* occurr$ dur+ active        
milit>y1 naval1 or air s]vice4  4  7b7  
,annual reports  7#a7 ,9 g5]al ,sub*apt]
 ,,vi ( *apt] #aa ( title #ch1 ,unit$   
,/ates ,code1 is am5d$ by add+ at ! end 
! foll[+ new section3  #aafd4 ,reports  
on claims = disabilities incurr$ or     
aggravat$ by milit>y sexual trauma  7a7 

,reports ,n lat] ?an ,decemb] #a1 #bjad1
 & ea* ye> !reaft] ?r\gh #bjah1 !       
,secret>y %all submit to ,congress a    
report on cov]$ claims submitt$ dur+ !  
previ\s fiscal ye>4  7b7 ,elem5ts ,ea*  
report "u subsection 7a7 %all include ! 
foll[+3  7#a7 ,! numb] ( cov]$ claims   
submitt$ to or consid]$ by ! ,secret>y  
dur+ ! fiscal ye> cov]$ by ! report4    
7#b7 ,( ! cov]$ claims li/$ "u p>agraph 
7#a71 ! numb] & p]c5tage ( su* claims-- 
7,a7 submitt$ by ea* sex2  7,b7 t 7     
approv$1 includ+ ! numb] & p]c5tage (   
su* approv$ claims submitt$ by ea* sex2 
&  7,c7 t 7 d5i$1 includ+ ! numb] &     
p]c5tage ( su* d5i$ claims submitt$ by  
ea* sex4  7#c7 ,( ! cov]$ claims li/$ "u
 p>agraph 7#a7 t 7 approv$1 ! numb] &   
p]c5tage1 li/$ by ea* sex1 ( claims     
assign$ to ea* rat+ p]c5tage4  7#d7 ,( !
 cov]$ claims li/$ "u p>agraph 7#a7 t 7 
d5i$--  7,a7 ! ?ree mo/ common reasons  
giv5 by ! ,secret>y "u section          
#eajd7;b77#a7 ( ?is title = su* d5ials2 
&  7,b7 ! numb] ( d5ials t 7 bas$ on !  

failure ( a vet]an to report = a m$ical 
exam9ation4  7#e7 ,! numb] ( cov]$      
claims t1 z ( ! end ( ! fiscal ye> cov]$
 by ! report1 are p5d+ &1 sep>ately1 !  
numb] ( su* claims on appeal4  7#f7 ,= !
 fiscal ye> cov]$ by ! report1 ! av]age 
numb] ( days t cov]$ claims take to     
complete beg9n+ on ! date on :i* ! claim
 is submitt$4  7#g7 ,a description ( !  
tra9+ t ! ,secret>y provides to         
employees ( ! ,vet]ans ,b5efits         
,adm9i/ration specifically ) respect to 
cov]$ claims1 includ+ ! frequ5cy1 l5g?1 
& cont5t ( su* tra9+4  7c7 ,def9itions  
,9 ?is section3  7#a7 ,! t]m cov]$      
claims means claims = disability        
comp5sation submitt$ to ! ,secret>y bas$
 on a cov]$ m5tal heal? condition alleg$
 to h be5 incurr$ or aggravat$ by       
milit>y sexual trauma4  7#b7 ,! t]m     
cov]$ m5tal heal? condition has ! mean+ 
giv5 t t]m 9 subp>agraph 7,a7 ( section 
#aaed7;c77#c7 ( ?is title4  7#c7 ,! t]m 
milit>y sexual trauma has ! mean+ giv5 t
 t]m 9 subp>agraph 7,b7 ( su* section4  

4  7#b7 ,cl]ical am5dm5t ,! table (     
sections at ! beg9n+ ( su* *apt] is     
am5d$ by add+ at ! end ! foll[+ new     
item3  #aafd4 ,annual reports on claims 
= disabilities incurr$ or aggravat$ by  
milit>y sexual trauma4  4  7c7          
,effective date ,subsection 7c7 (       
section #aaed ( title #ch1 ,unit$ ,/ates
 ,code1 z add$ by subsection 7a71 %all  
apply ) respect to any claim =          
disability comp5sation "u laws adm9i/]$ 
by ! ,secret>y ( ,vet]ans ,affairs = :i*
 no f9al decision has be5 made be=e !   
date ( ! enactm5t ( ?is ,act4