,,ii  #aadth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #ajba  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,april #ba1    
#bjae,mr4 ,durbin 7for himself and ,mr4 
,murphy7 introduced the following bill2 
which was read twice and referred to the
 ,committee on ,veterans' ,affairs  ,a  
,,bill  ,to require the ,secretary of   
,veterans ,affairs to award grants to   
establish1 or expand upon1 master's     
degree programs in orthotics and        
prosthetics1 and for other purposes4    
#a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited
 as the ,wounded ,warrior ,workforce    
,enhancement ,act4  #b4 ,orthotics and  
,prosthetics ,education ,improvement    
7a7 ,grants required  7#a7 ,in general  
,the ,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs   
shall award grants to eligible          
institutions to enable the eligible     
institutions--  7,a7 to establish a     
master's degree program in orthotics and
 prosthetics2 or  7,b7 to expand upon an
 existing master's degree program in    
orthotics and prosthetics1 including by 

admitting more students1 further        
training faculty1 expanding facilities1 
or increasing cooperation with the      
,department of ,veterans ,affairs and   
the ,department of ,defense4  7#b7      
,priority ,the ,secretary shall give    
priority in the award of grants under   
this section to eligible institutions   
that have entered into a partnership    
with a medical center or clinic         
administered by the ,department of      
,veterans ,affairs or a facility        
administered by the ,department of      
,defense1 including by providing        
clinical rotations at such medical      
center1 clinic1 or facility4  7#c7      
,grant amounts ,grants awarded under    
this section shall be in amounts of not 
less than #a1jjj1jjj and not more than  
#a1ejj1jjj4  7b7 ,requests for proposals
  7#a7 ,in general ,not later than #ij  
days after the date of the enactment of 
this ,act1 and not less frequently than 
annually thereafter for two years1 the  
,secretary shall issue a request for    

proposals from eligible institutions for
 grants under this section4  7#b7       
,proposals ,an eligible institution that
 seeks the award of a grant under this  
section shall submit an application     
therefor to the ,secretary at such time1
 in such manner1 and accompanied by such
 information as the ,secretary may      
require1 including--  7,a7 demonstration
 of a willingness and ability to        
participate in a partnership described  
in subsection 7a77#b72 and  7,b7 a      
commitment1 and demonstration of an     
ability1 to maintain an accredited      
orthotics and prosthetics education     
program after the end of the grant      
period4  7c7 ,grant uses  7#a7 ,in      
general ,an eligible institution awarded
 a grant under this section shall use   
grant amounts to carry out any of the   
following3  7,a7 ,building new or       
expanding existing orthotics and        
prosthetics master's degree programs4   
7,b7 ,training doctoral candidates in   
fields related to orthotics and         

prosthetics to prepare them to instruct 
in orthotics and prosthetics programs4  
7,c7 ,training faculty in orthotics and 
prosthetics education or related fields 
for the purpose of instruction in       
orthotics and prosthetics programs4     
7,d7 ,salary supplementation for faculty
 in orthotics and prosthetics education4
  7,e7 ,financial aid that allows       
eligible institutions to admit          
additional students to study orthotics  
and prosthetics4  7,f7 ,funding faculty 
research projects or faculty time to    
undertake research in the areas of      
orthotics and prosthetics for the       
purpose of furthering their teaching    
abilities4  7,g7 ,renovation of         
buildings or minor construction to house
 orthotics and prosthetics education    
programs4  7,h7 ,purchasing equipment   
for orthotics and prosthetics education4
  7#b7 ,limitation on construction ,an  
eligible institution awarded a grant    
under this section may use not more than
 #ej percent of the grant amount to     

carry out paragraph 7#a77;,g74  7#c7    
,admissions preference ,an eligible     
institution awarded a grant under this  
section shall give preference in        
admission to the orthotics and          
prosthetics master's degree programs to 
veterans1 to the extent practicable4    
7#d7 ,period of use of funds ,an        
eligible institution awarded a grant    
under this section may use the grant    
funds for a period of three years after 
the award of the grant4  7d7            
,definitions ,in this section3  7#a7    
,the term eligible institution means an 
educational institution that offers an  
orthotics and prosthetics education     
program that--  7,a7 is accredited by   
the ,national ,commission on ,orthotic  
and ,prosthetic ,education in           
cooperation with the ,commission on     
,accreditation of ,allied ,health       
,education ,programs2 or  7,b7          
demonstrates an ability to meet the     
accreditation requirements for orthotic 
and prosthetic education from the       

,national ,commission on ,orthotic and  
,prosthetic ,education in cooperation   
with the ,commission on ,accreditation  
of ,allied ,health ,education ,programs 
if the institution receives a grant     
under this section4  7#b7 ,the term     
veteran has the meaning given that term 
in section #aja of title #ch1 ,united   
,states ,code4  7e7 ,authorization of   
appropriations  7#a7 ,in general ,there 
is authorized to be appropriated for    
fiscal year #bjaf for the ,department of
 ,veterans ,affairs1 #ae1jjj1jjj to     
carry out this section4 ,the amount so  
authorized to be appropriated shall     
remain available for obligation until   
,september #cj1 #bjah4  7#b7            
,unobligated amounts to be returned to  
the treasury ,any amounts authorized to 
be appropriated by paragraph 7#a7 that  
are not obligated by the ,secretary as  
of ,september #cj1 #bjah1 shall be      
returned to the ,treasury of the ,united
 ,states4  #c4 ,center of ,excellence in
 ,orthotic and ,prosthetic ,education   

7a7 ,grant for establishment of center  
7#a7 ,in general ,the ,secretary of     
,veterans ,affairs shall award a grant  
to an eligible institution to enable the
 eligible institution--  7,a7 to        
establish the ,center of ,excellence in 
,orthotic and ,prosthetic ,education 7in
 this section referred to as the        
,center72 and  7,b7 to enable the       
eligible institution to improve orthotic
 and prosthetic outcomes for veterans1  
members of the ,armed ,forces1 and      
civilians by conducting evidence-based  
research on--  7i7 the knowledge1       
skills1 and training most needed by     
clinical professionals in the field of  
orthotics and prosthetics2 and  7ii7 how
 to most effectively prepare clinical   
professionals to provide effective1     
high-quality orthotic and prosthetic    
care4  7#b7 ,priority ,the ,secretary   
shall give priority in the award of a   
grant under this section to an eligible 
institution that has in force1 or       
demonstrates the willingness and ability

 to enter into1 a memoranda of          
understanding with the ,department of   
,veterans ,affairs1 the ,department of  
,defense1 or other appropriate          
,government agency1 or a cooperative    
agreement with an appropriate private   
sector entity1 which memorandum of      
understanding or cooperative agreement  
provides for either1 or both1 of the    
following3  7,a7 ,the provision of      
resources1 whether in cash or in kind1  
to the ,center4  7,b7 ,assistance to the
 ,center in conducting research and     
disseminating the results of such       
research4  7#c7 ,grant amount ,the grant
 awarded under this section shall be in 
the amount of #e1jjj1jjj4  7b7 ,requests
 for proposals  7#a7 ,in general ,not   
later than #ij days after the date of   
the enactment of this ,act1 the         
,secretary shall issue a request for    
proposals from eligible institutions for
 the grant under this section4  7#b7    
,proposals ,an eligible institution that
 seeks the award of the grant under this

 section shall submit an application    
therefor to the ,secretary at such time1
 in such manner1 and accompanied by such
 information as the ,secretary may      
require4  7c7 ,grant uses  7#a7 ,in     
general ,the eligible institution       
awarded the grant under this section    
shall use the grant amount as follows3  
7,a7 ,to develop an agenda for orthotics
 and prosthetics education research4    
7,b7 ,to fund research in the area of   
orthotics and prosthetics education4    
7,c7 ,to publish or otherwise           
disseminate research findings relating  
to orthotics and prosthetics education4 
7#b7 ,period of use of funds ,the       
eligible institution awarded the grant  
under this section may use the grant    
amount for a period of five years after 
the award of the grant4  7d7            
,definitions ,in this section3  7#a7    
,the term eligible institution means an 
educational institution that--  7,a7 has
 a robust research program2  7,b7 offers
 an orthotics and prosthetics education 

program that is accredited by the       
,national ,commission on ,orthotic and  
,prosthetic ,education in cooperation   
with the ,commission on ,accreditation  
of ,allied ,health ,education ,programs2
  7,c7 is well recognized in the field  
of orthotics and prosthetics education2 
and  7,d7 has an established association
 with--  7i7 a medical center or clinic 
of the ,department of ,veterans         
,affairs2 and  7ii7 a local             
rehabilitation hospital4  7#b7 ,the term
 veteran has the meaning given that term
 in section #aja of title #ch1 ,united  
,states ,code4  7e7 ,authorization of   
appropriations ,there is authorized to  
be appropriated for fiscal year #bjaf   
for the ,department of ,veterans        
,affairs1 #e1jjj1jjj to carry out this  
section4