,i #aafth ,,congress #ast ,session ,h4 ,r4 #chfg ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of ,,representatives ,july #ai1 #bjai,ms4 ,velzquez 7for herself1 ,mr4 ,cisneros1 ,mr4 ,espaillat1 ,mr4 ,kilmer1 ,mrs4 ,dingell1 ,mrs4 ,watson ,coleman1 ,ms4 ,meng1 ,ms4 ,norton1 ,mr4 ,mc,nerney1 ,mr4 ,pallone1 ,mr4 ,serrano1 ,mr4 ,pocan1 ,ms4 ,speier1 ,mr4 ,lujn1 ,mr4 ,meeks1 ,mr4 ,moulton1 ,ms4 ,judy ,chu of ,california1 ,mr4 ,tonko1 ,ms4 ,moore1 ,mr4 ,de,fazio1 ,ms4 ,kuster of ,new ,hampshire1 ,mr4 ,carson of ,indiana1 ,mr4 ,kind1 ,mr4 ,brown of ,maryland1 ,ms4 ,wexton1 ,mr4 ,de,saulnier1 ,mrs4 ,demings1 ,ms4 ,barragn1 ,mr4 ,case1 ,ms4 ,pingree1 ,mr4 ,sires1 and ,ms4 ,roybal-,allard7 introduced the following bill2 which was referred to the ,committee on ,veterans' ,affairs ,a ,,bill ,to require the ,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs to improve the provision of services and benefits from the ,department of ,veterans ,affairs for veterans who experience domestic violence or sexual assault1 and for other purposes4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,violence ,against ,women ,veterans ,act4 #b4 ,purpose ,the purpose of this ,act is to better integrate the medical1 housing1 mental health1 and other benefits provided by the ,department of ,veterans ,affairs with existing community-based domestic violence and sexual assault services-- 7#a7 to provide a more efficient and coordinated network of support for veterans experiencing domestic violence or sexual assault2 and 7#b7 to better understand the impact of domestic violence and sexual assault on veterans1 particularly female veterans4 #c4 ,program to assist veterans who experience domestic violence or sexual assault 7a7 ,program required ,the ,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs shall carry out a program to assist veterans that have experienced or are experiencing domestic violence or sexual assault in accessing benefits from the ,department of ,veterans ,affairs1 including coordinating access to medical treatment centers1 housing assistance1 and other benefits from the ,department4 7b7 ,partnership ,the ,secretary shall carry out the program under subsection 7a7 in partnership with-- 7#a7 domestic violence shelters and programs2 7#b7 rape crisis centers2 7#c7 ,state domestic violence and sexual assault coalitions2 and 7#d7 such other health care or other service providers that serve domestic violence or sexual assault victims as determined by the ,secretary1 particularly those providing emergency services or housing assistance4 7c7 ,authorized activities ,in carrying out the program under subsection 7a71 the ,secretary may conduct the following activities3 7#a7 ,training for community-based domestic violence or sexual assault service providers on-- 7,a7 identifying veterans who have been victims of domestic violence or sexual assault2 7,b7 coordinating with local service providers of the ,department2 and 7,c7 connecting veterans with appropriate housing1 mental health1 medical1 and other financial assistance or benefits from the ,department4 7#b7 ,assistance to service providers to ensure access of veterans to domestic violence and sexual assault emergency services1 particularly in underserved areas1 including services for members of ,indian tribes4 7#c7 ,such other outreach and assistance as the ,secretary determines necessary for the provision of assistance under subsection 7a74 7d7 ,domestic violence and sexual assault outreach coordinators 7#a7 ,in general ,in order to effectively assist veterans who have experienced domestic violence or sexual assault1 the ,secretary may establish local coordinators to provide outreach under the program required by subsection 7a74 7#b7 ,local coordinator knowledge ,the ,secretary shall ensure that each coordinator established under paragraph 7#a7 is knowledgeable about-- 7,a7 the dynamics of domestic violence and sexual assault1 including safety concerns1 legal protections1 and the need for the provision of confidential services2 7,b7 the eligibility of veterans for services and benefits from the ,department that are relevant to recovery from domestic violence and sexual assault1 particularly emergency housing assistance1 mental health care1 other health care1 and disability benefits2 and 7,c7 local community resources addressing domestic violence and sexual assault4 7#c7 ,local coordinator assistance ,each coordinator established under paragraph 7#a7 shall assist domestic violence shelters and rape crisis centers in providing services to veterans4 #d4 ,national task force on veterans experiencing domestic violence or sexual assault 7a7 ,in general ,the ,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs1 in consultation with the ,attorney ,general and the ,secretary of ,health and ,human ,services1 shall establish a national task force 7in this section referred to as the ,task ,force7 to develop a comprehensive national program1 including by integrating facilities1 services1 and benefits of the ,department of ,veterans ,affairs into existing networks of community-based domestic violence and sexual assault services1 to address domestic violence and sexual assault among veterans4 7b7 ,consultation with stakeholders ,in carrying out this section1 the ,task ,force shall consult with-- 7#a7 representatives from not fewer than three national organizations or ,state coalitions with demonstrated expertise in domestic violence prevention1 response1 or advocacy2 and 7#b7 representatives from not fewer than three national organizations or ,state coalitions1 particularly those representing underserved or ethnic minority communities1 with demonstrated expertise in sexual assault prevention1 response1 or advocacy4 7c7 ,duties ,the duties of the ,task ,force shall include the following3 7#a7 ,to review existing services and policies of the ,department and develop a comprehensive national program to address domestic violence and sexual assault prevention1 response1 and treatment4 7#b7 ,to review the feasibility and advisability of establishing an expedited process to secure emergency1 temporary benefits1 including housing or other benefits1 for veterans who are experiencing domestic violence or sexual assault4 7#c7 ,to review and make recommendations regarding the feasibility and advisability of establishing dedicated1 temporary housing assistance for veterans experiencing domestic violence or sexual assault4 7#d7 ,to identify any requirements regarding domestic violence assistance or sexual assault response and services that are not being met by the ,department and make recommendations on how the ,department can meet such requirements4 7#e7 ,to review and make recommendations regarding the feasibility and advisability of providing direct services or contracting for community-based services for veterans in response to a sexual assault1 including through the use of sexual assault nurse examiners1 particularly in underserved or remote areas1 including services for members of ,indian tribes4 7#f7 ,to review the availability of counseling services provided by the ,department and through peer network support1 and to provide recommendations for the enhancement of such services1 to address-- 7,a7 the perpetration of domestic violence and sexual assault2 and 7,b7 the recovery of veterans1 particularly female veterans1 from domestic violence and sexual assault4 7#g7 ,to review and make recommendations to expand services available for veterans at risk of perpetrating domestic violence4 7d7 ,report ,not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this ,act1 and not less frequently than annually thereafter1 the ,task ,force shall submit to the ,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs and ,congress a report on the activities of the ,task ,force1 including any recommendations for legislative or administrative action4 #e4 ,national baseline study on problem of domestic violence and sexual assault among veterans and spouses of veterans ,the ,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs1 in consultation with the ,attorney ,general1 shall conduct a national baseline study to examine the scope of the problem of domestic violence and sexual assault among veterans and spouses of veterans4 #f4 ,assessment of effects of intimate partner violence on women veterans by ,advisory ,committee on ,women ,veterans ,section #edb7;c77#a7 of title #ch1 ,united ,states ,code1 is amended-- 7#a7 in subparagraph 7,b71 by striking and at the end2 7#b7 by redesignating subparagraph 7,c7 as subparagraph 7,d72 and 7#c7 by inserting after subparagraph 7,b7 the following new subparagraph 7,c73 7,c7 an assessment of the effects of intimate partner violence on women veterans2 and 4