,,ii  #aacth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #eba  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the
 ,,united ,,states  ,march #aa1 #bjac   
,mr4 ,durbin 7for himself1 ,mr4         
,blumenthal1 and ,mr4 ,harkin7          
introduced the following bill2 which was
 read twice and referred to the         
,committee on ,armed ,services  ,a      
,,bill  ,to require the ,secretary of   
,defense to award grants to fund        
research on orthotics and prosthetics4  
#a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited
 as the ,wounded ,warrior ,research     
,enhancement ,act4  #b4 ,orthotic and   
,prosthetic ,research  7a7 ,purpose ,the
 purpose of the grants described in this
 section is to advance orthotic and     
prosthetic clinical care for members of 
the ,armed ,forces1 veterans1 and       
civilians who have undergone amputation1
 traumatic brain injury1 and other      
serious physical injury as a result of  
combat or military experience4  7b7     
,grants for research on patient outcomes
 ,the ,secretary of ,defense shall award

 grants to persons to carry out research
 on the following3  7#a7 ,the actions   
that can be taken to prevent amputation 
of limbs4  7#b7 ,the point in the course
 of patient treatment during which      
orthotic and prosthetic intervention is 
most effective4  7#c7 ,the orthotic     
interventions that are most effective in
 treating the physical effects of       
traumatic brain injury4  7#d7 ,the      
patients that benefit most from         
particular orthotic and prosthetic      
technologies4  7#e7 ,the orthotic and   
prosthetic services that best facilitate
 the return to active duty of members of
 the ,armed ,forces4  7#f7 ,the effect  
of the aging process on the use of      
prosthetics1 including--  7,a7 increased
 skin breakdown2  7,b7 loss of balance2 
7,c7 falls2 and  7,d7 other issues that 
arise during the aging process4  7c7    
,grants on materials research ,the      
,secretary shall award grants to persons
 to carry out research on the following3
  7#a7 ,the improvement of existing     

materials used in orthotics and         
prosthetics for the purpose of improving
 quality of life and health outcomes for
 individuals with limb loss4  7#b7 ,the 
development of new materials used in    
orthotics and prosthetics for the       
purpose of improving quality of life and
 health outcomes for individuals with   
limb loss4  7d7 ,grants on technology   
research ,the ,secretary shall award    
grants to persons to carry out research 
on the following3  7#a7 ,the improvement
 of existing orthotic and prosthetic    
technology and devices for the purpose  
of improving quality of life and health 
outcomes for individuals with limb loss4
  7#b7 ,the development of new orthotic 
and prosthetic technology and devices   
for the purpose of improving quality of 
life and health outcomes for individuals
 with limb loss4  7e7 ,request for      
proposals ,a person seeking the award of
 a grant under this section shall submit
 to the ,secretary an application       
therefore in the form and accompanied by

 such information as the ,secretary     
shall require4  7f7 ,award requirements 
7#a7 ,peer-reviewed proposals ,grants   
under this section may be awarded only  
for research that is peer-reviewed4     
7#b7 ,competitive procedures ,grants    
under this section shall be awarded     
through competitive procedures4  7g7    
,grant use ,a person awarded a grant    
under subsection 7b71 7c71 or 7d7 shall 
use the grant amount to carry out the   
research described in the applicable    
subsection4  7h7 ,reports ,not later    
than #ahj days after the date of the    
enactment of this ,act1 and annually    
thereafter1 the ,secretary of ,defense  
shall1 in consultation with the         
,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs1       
veterans1 community-based clinicians1   
and expert researchers in the field of  
orthotics and prosthetics1 submit to    
,congress a report setting forth the    
following3  7#a7 ,an agenda for orthotic
 and prosthetic research that identifies
 and prioritizes the most significant   

unanswered orthotic and prosthetic      
research questions pertinent to the     
provision of evidence-based clinical    
care to members of the ,armed ,forces1  
veterans1 and civilians4  7#b7 ,for each
 report after the initial report under  
this subsection--  7,a7 a summary of how
 the grants awarded under subsection 7b7
 are addressing the most significant    
orthotic and prosthetic needs2 and  7,b7
 the progress made towards resolving    
orthotic and prosthetic challenges      
facing members of the ,armed ,forces and
 veterans4  7i7 ,veteran defined ,in    
this section1 the term veteran has the  
meaning given that term in section #aja 
of title #ch1 ,united ,states ,code4    
7j7 ,authorization of appropriations    
,there is authorized to be appropriated 
for fiscal year #bjad for the           
,department of ,defense for the ,defense
 ,health ,program1 #cj1jjj1jjj to carry 
out this section4