,,ii  #aafth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #ead  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the
 ,,united ,,states  ,february #ad1      
#bjai,mr4 ,tester 7for himself1 ,mr4    
,boozman1 ,mrs4 ,capito1 ,mrs4          
,blackburn1 ,ms4 ,stabenow1 ,mr4        
,schatz1 ,ms4 ,sinema1 ,ms4 ,warren1    
,mr4 ,menendez1 ,ms4 ,hassan1 ,mr4      
,reed1 ,mr4 ,whitehouse1 ,ms4 ,baldwin1 
,ms4 ,duckworth1 ,mr4 ,blumenthal1 ,mrs4
 ,shaheen1 ,mrs4 ,murray1 ,ms4 ,cortez  
,masto1 ,mr4 ,van ,hollen1 ,ms4 ,harris1
 ,mrs4 ,gillibrand1 ,mr4 ,merkley1 ,mr4 
,booker1 ,mr4 ,casey1 ,mr4 ,brown1 ,mr4 
,peters1 and ,mrs4 ,feinstein7          
introduced the following bill2 which was
 read twice and referred to the         
,committee on ,veterans' ,affairs  ,a   
,,bill  ,to amend title #ch1 ,united    
,states ,code1 to improve the benefits  
and services provided by the ,department
 of ,veterans ,affairs to women         
veterans1 and for other purposes4  #a4  
,short title2 table of contents  7a7    
,short title ,this ,act may be cited as 

the ,deborah ,sampson ,act4  7b7 ,table 
of contents ,the table of contents for  
this ,act is as follows3 ,sec4 #a4      
,short title2 table of contents4 ,,title
 ,i--,readjustment and ,related         
,assistance ,sec4 #aja4 ,provision of   
reintegration and readjustment services 
to veterans and family members in group 
retreat settings4 ,sec4 #ajb4 ,expansion
 of capabilities of ,women ,veterans    
,call ,center to include text messaging4
 ,,title ,,ii--,legal and ,supportive   
,services ,sec4 #bja4 ,department of    
,veterans ,affairs public-private       
partnership on legal services for women 
veterans4 ,sec4 #bjb4 ,additional amount
 for ,supportive ,services for ,veteran 
,families grant program to support      
organizations that have a focus on      
providing assistance to women veterans  
and their families4 ,sec4 #bjc4 ,gap    
analysis of ,department of ,veterans    
,affairs programs that provide          
assistance to women veterans who are    
homeless4 ,,title ,,iii--,newborn ,care 

,sec4 #cja4 ,extension of period of     
eligibility for care for newborn        
children from the ,department of        
,veterans ,affairs4 ,,title             
,,iv--,eliminating ,barriers to ,access 
,sec4 #dja4 ,women ,veterans ,retrofit  
,initiative4 ,sec4 #djb4 ,staffing of   
women's health primary care providers at
 medical facilities of the ,department  
of ,veterans ,affairs4 ,sec4 #djc4      
,additional funding for primary care and
 emergency care clinicians in ,women    
,veterans ,health ,care ,mini-,residency
 ,program4 ,sec4 #djd4 ,establishment of
 women veteran training module for      
non-,department of ,veterans ,affairs   
health care providers4 ,sec4 #dje4      
,study on staffing of ,women ,veteran   
,program ,manager program at medical    
centers of the ,department of ,veterans 
,affairs and training of staff4 ,,title 
,v--,data ,collection and ,reporting    
,sec4 #eja4 ,requirement for collection 
and analysis of data on ,department of  
,veterans ,affairs benefits and services

 and disaggregation of such data by sex 
and minority status4 ,sec4 #ejb4 ,report
 on availability of prosthetics for     
women veterans from the ,department of  
,veterans ,affairs4 ,sec4 #ejc4         
,requirement for ,department of         
,veterans ,affairs internet website to  
provide information on services         
available to women veterans4 ,sec4 #ejd4
 ,report on locations where women       
veterans are using health care from     
,department of ,veterans ,affairs4 ,sec4
 #eje4 ,report on models of medical     
facilities of ,department of ,veterans  
,affairs for the treatment of women4    
,sec4 #ejf4 ,report on staffing of      
,department of ,veterans relating to the
 treatment of women4  ,i ,readjustment  
and related assistance  #aja4 ,provision
 of reintegration and readjustment      
services to veterans and family members 
in group retreat settings  7a7 ,in      
general ,section #agab;,a of title #ch1 
,united ,states ,code1 is amended--     
7#a7 in subsection 7a77#a77;,b7-- 7,a7  

in clause 7ii71 by redesignating        
subclauses 7,i7 and 7,,ii7 as items 7aa7
 and 7bb72  7,b7 by redesignating       
clauses 7i7 and 7ii7 as subclauses 7,i7 
and 7,,ii72  7,c7 in the matter         
preceding subclause 7,i71 as            
redesignated by subparagraph 7,b71 by   
striking ,counseling and inserting 7i7  
,counseling2 and  7,d7 by adding at the 
end the following new clause3  7ii7 7,i7
 ,except as provided in subclause       
7,,iv71 counseling furnished to an      
individual under subparagraph 7,a7 may  
include reintegration and readjustment  
services described in subclause 7,,ii7  
furnished in group retreat settings4    
7,,ii7 ,reintegration and readjustment  
services described in this subclause are
 the following3 7aa7 ,information on    
reintegration of the individual into    
family1 employment1 and community4  7bb7
 ,financial counseling4  7cc7           
,occupational counseling4  7dd7         
,information and counseling on stress   
reduction4  7ee7 ,information and       

counseling on conflict resolution4  7ff7
 ,such other information and counseling 
as the ,secretary considers appropriate 
to assist the individual in             
reintegration into family1 employment1  
and community4  7,,iii7 ,in furnishing  
reintegration and readjustment services 
under subclause 7,i71 the ,secretary    
shall offer women the opportunity to    
receive such services in group retreat  
settings in which the only participants 
are women4  7,,iv7 ,an individual       
referred to in subparagraph 7,c77v7 may 
receive reintegration and readjustment  
services under subclause 7,i7 only if   
the individual receives such services   
with a family member described in       
subclause 7,i7 or 7,,ii7 of such        
subparagraph4  4  7b7 ,request for      
services ,subsection 7a77#b7 of such    
section is amended-- 7#a7 by striking   
,upon and inserting 7,a7 ,upon2  7#b7 by
 striking paragraph 7#a77;,b7 and       
inserting paragraph 7#a77;,b77i72 and   
7#c7 by adding at the end the following 

new subparagraph3  7,b7 ,upon the       
request of an individual described in   
paragraph 7#a77;,c71 the ,secretary     
shall furnish the individual            
reintegration and readjustment services 
in group retreat settings under         
paragraph 7#a77;,b77ii74  4  #ajb4      
,expansion of capabilities of ,women    
,veterans ,call ,center to include text 
messaging ,the ,secretary of ,veterans  
,affairs shall expand the capabilities  
of the ,women ,veterans ,call ,center of
 the ,department of ,veterans ,affairs  
to include a text messaging capability4 
,,ii ,legal and supportive services     
#bja4 ,department of ,veterans ,affairs 
public-private partnership on legal     
services for women veterans  7a7        
,partnership required ,the ,secretary of
 ,veterans ,affairs shall establish a   
partnership with at least one           
nongovernmental organization to provide 
legal services to women veterans4  7b7  
,focus ,the focus of the partnership    
established under subsection 7a7 shall  

be on the #aj highest unmet needs of    
women veterans as set forth in the most 
recently completed ,community           
,homelessness ,assessment1 ,local       
,education and ,networking ,groups for  
,veterans 7,,chaleng for ,veterans7     
survey4  #bjb4 ,additional amount for   
,supportive ,services for ,veteran      
,families grant program to support      
organizations that have a focus on      
providing assistance to women veterans  
and their families ,section #bjdd7;e7 of
 title #ch1 ,united ,states ,code1 is   
amended-- 7#a7 in paragraph 7#a71 by    
adding at the end the following new     
subparagraph3  7,f7 #djj1jjj1jjj for    
each of fiscal years #bjbj through      
#bjbb4  2 and  7#b7 by adding at the end
 the following new paragraph3  7#d7 ,not
 less than #bj1jjj1jjj shall be         
available under paragraph 7#a77;,h7 for 
the provision of financial assistance   
under subsection 7a7 to organizations   
that have a focus on providing          
assistance to women veterans and their  

families4  4  #bjc4 ,gap analysis of    
,department of ,veterans ,affairs       
programs that provide assistance to     
women veterans who are homeless  7a7 ,in
 general ,the ,secretary of ,veterans   
,affairs shall complete an analysis of  
programs of the ,department of ,veterans
 ,affairs that provide assistance to    
women veterans who are homeless or      
precariously housed to identify the     
areas in which such programs are failing
 to meet the needs of such women4  7b7  
,report ,not later than #bgj days after 
the date of the enactment of this ,act1 
the ,secretary 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        
analysis completed under subsection 7a74
  ,,iii ,newborn care  #cja4 ,extension 
of period of eligibility for care for   
newborn children from the ,department of
 ,veterans ,affairs ,section #aghf7;a7  
of title #ch1 ,united ,states ,code1 is 

amended1 in the matter preceding        
paragraph 7#a71 by striking seven days  
and inserting #ad days4  ,,iv           
,eliminating barriers to access  #dja4  
,women ,veterans ,retrofit ,initiative  
7a7 ,in general ,the ,secretary of      
,veterans ,affairs shall retrofit       
existing medical facilities of the      
,department of ,veterans ,affairs with  
fixtures1 materials1 and other          
outfitting measures to support the      
provision of care to women veterans at  
such facilities4  7b7 ,plan ,not later  
than #ahj days after the date of the    
enactment of this ,act1 the ,secretary  
shall submit to the ,committee on       
,veterans' ,affairs of the ,senate and  
the ,committee on ,veterans' ,affairs of
 the ,house of ,representatives a plan  
to address deficiencies in environment  
of care for women veterans at medical   
facilities of the ,department4  7c7     
,authorization of appropriations ,there 
is authorized to be appropriated to the 
,secretary #bj1jjj1jjj to carry out     

subsection 7a7 in addition to amounts   
otherwise made available to the         
,secretary for the purposes set forth in
 such subsection4  #djb4 ,staffing of   
women's health primary care providers at
 medical facilities of the ,department  
of ,veterans ,affairs ,the ,secretary of
 ,veterans ,affairs shall ensure that   
each medical facility of the ,department
 of ,veterans ,affairs has not fewer    
than one full-time or part-time women's 
health primary care provider whose      
duties include1 to the extent possible1 
providing training to other health care 
providers of the ,department on the     
needs of women veterans4  #djc4         
,additional funding for primary care and
 emergency care clinicians in ,women    
,veterans ,health ,care ,mini-,residency
 ,program  7a7 ,in general ,there is    
authorized to be appropriated to the    
,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs        
#a1jjj1jjj for each fiscal year for the 
,women ,veterans ,health ,care          
,mini-,residency ,program of the        

,department of ,veterans ,affairs to    
provide opportunities for participation 
in such program for primary care and    
emergency care clinicians4  7b7         
,treatment of amounts ,the amounts      
authorized to be appropriated under     
subsection 7a7 shall be in addition to  
amounts otherwise made available to the 
,secretary for the purposes set forth in
 such subsection4  #djd4 ,establishment 
of women veteran training module for    
non-,department of ,veterans ,affairs   
health care providers  7a7 ,in general  
,not later than one year after the date 
of the enactment of this ,act1 the      
,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs shall  
establish and make available to         
community providers a training module   
that is specific to women veterans4  7b7
 ,community provider defined ,in this   
section1 the term community provider    
means a non-,department of ,veterans    
,affairs health care provider who       
provides health care to veterans under  
the laws administered by the ,secretary 

of ,veterans ,affairs4  #dje4 ,study on 
staffing of ,women ,veteran ,program    
,manager program at medical centers of  
the ,department of ,veterans ,affairs   
and training of staff  7a7 ,study ,the  
,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs shall  
conduct a study on the use of the ,women
 ,veteran ,program ,manager program of  
the ,department of ,veterans ,affairs to
 determine--  7#a7 if the program is    
appropriately staffed at each medical   
center of the ,department2  7#b7 whether
 each medical center of the ,department 
is staffed with a ,women ,veteran       
,program ,manager2 and  7#c7 whether it 
would be feasible and advisable to have 
a ,women ,veteran ,program ,ombudsman at
 each medical center of the ,department4
  7b7 ,report ,not later than #bgj days 
after the date of the enactment of this 
,act1 the ,secretary 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 study  

conducted under subsection 7a74  7c7    
,training ,the ,secretary shall ensure  
that all ,women ,veteran ,program       
,managers and ,women ,veteran ,program  
,ombudsmen receive the proper training  
to carry out their duties4  ,v ,data    
collection and reporting  #eja4         
,requirement for collection and analysis
 of data on ,department of ,veterans    
,affairs benefits and services and      
disaggregation of such data by sex and  
minority status ,the ,secretary of      
,veterans ,affairs shall-- 7#a7 collect 
and analyze data on each program of the 
,department of ,veterans ,affairs that  
provides a service or benefit to a      
veteran1 including the program carried  
out under section #aadd of title #aj1   
,united ,states ,code2  7#b7            
disaggregate such data by sex and       
minority status1 when the data lends    
itself to such disaggregation2 and  7#c7
 publish the data collected and analyzed
 under paragraph 7#a71 except for such  
cases in which the ,secretary determines

 that some portions of the data would   
undermine the anonymity of a veteran4   
#ejb4 ,report on availability of        
prosthetics for women veterans from 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 availability from the ,department of
 ,veterans ,affairs of prosthetics made 
for women veterans1 including an        
assessment of the availability of such  
prosthetics at each medical facility of 
the ,department4  #ejc4 ,requirement for
 ,department of ,veterans ,affairs      
internet website to provide information 
on services available to women veterans 
7a7 ,in general ,the ,secretary of      
,veterans ,affairs shall survey the     
internet websites and information       
resources of the ,department of         

,veterans ,affairs in effect on the day 
before the date of the enactment of this
 ,act and publish an internet website   
that serves as a centralized source for 
the provision to women veterans of      
information about the benefits and      
services available to them under laws   
administered by the ,secretary4  7b7    
,elements ,the internet website         
published under subsection 7a7 shall    
provide to women veterans information   
regarding all of the services available 
in the district in which that the       
veteran is seeking such services1       
including1 with respect to each medical 
center and community-based outpatient   
clinic in the applicable ,veterans      
,integrated ,service ,network--  7#a7   
the name and contact information of each
 women's health coordinator2  7#b7 a    
list of appropriate staff for other     
benefits available from the ,veterans   
,benefits ,administration1 the ,national
 ,cemetery ,administration1 and such    
other entities as the ,secretary        

considers appropriate2 and  7#c7 such   
other information as the ,secretary     
considers appropriate4  7c7 ,updated    
information ,the ,secretary shall ensure
 that the information described in      
subsection 7b7 that is published on the 
internet website required by subsection 
7a7 is updated not less frequently than 
once every #ij days4  7d7 ,outreach ,in 
carrying out this section1 the          
,secretary shall ensure that the        
outreach conducted under section        
#agbj;,f7i7 of title #ch1 ,united       
,states ,code1 includes information     
regarding the internet website required 
by subsection 7a74  7e7 ,derivation of  
funds ,amounts used by the ,secretary to
 carry out this section shall be derived
 from amounts made available to the     
,secretary to publish internet websites 
of the ,department4  #ejd4 ,report on   
locations where women veterans are using
 health care from ,department of        
,veterans ,affairs  7a7 ,in general ,not
 later than #ij days after the date of  

the enactment of this ,act1 and annually
 thereafter1 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 use by 
women veterans of health care from the  
,department of ,veterans ,affairs4  7b7 
,elements ,each report required by      
subsection 7a7 shall include the        
following information3 7#a7 ,the number 
of women veterans who reside in each    
,state4  7#b7 ,the number of women      
veterans in each ,state who are enrolled
 in the system of patient enrollment of 
the ,department established and operated
 under section #agje7;a7 of title #ch1  
,united ,states ,code4  7#c7 ,of the    
women veterans who are so enrolled1 the 
number who have received health care    
under the laws administered by the      
,secretary at least one time during the 
one-year period preceding the submittal 
of the report4  7#d7 ,the number of     

women veterans who have been seen at    
each medical facility of the ,department
 during such year4  7#e7 ,the number of 
appointments that women veterans have   
had at each such facility during such   
year4  7#f7 ,if known1 an identification
 of the medical facility of the         
,department in each ,veterans           
,integrated ,service ,network with the  
largest rate of increase in patient     
population of women veterans as measured
 by the increase in unique women veteran
 patient use4  7#g7 ,if known1 an       
identification of the medical facility  
of the ,department in each ,veterans    
,integrated ,service ,network with the  
largest rate of decrease in patient     
population of women veterans as measured
 by the decrease in unique women        
veterans patient use4  #eje4 ,report on 
models of medical facilities of         
,department of ,veterans ,affairs for   
the treatment of women  7a7 ,in general 
,not later than #ij days after the date 
of the enactment of this ,act1 and      

annually thereafter1 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 use by 
the ,department of ,veterans ,affairs of
 general primary care clinics1 separate 
but shared spaces1 and women's health   
centers as models of providing health   
care to women veterans4  7b7 ,elements  
,each report required by subsection 7a7 
shall include the following3 7#a7 ,the  
number of facilities of the ,department 
that fall into each model described in  
subsection 7a71 disaggregated by        
,veterans ,integrated ,service ,network 
and ,state4  7#b7 ,a description of the 
criteria used by the ,department to     
determine which such model is most      
appropriate for each facility of the    
,department4  7#c7 ,an assessment of how
 the ,department decides to make        
investments to upgrade facilities to the
 next higher-level model4  7#d7 ,a      

description of what1 if any1 plans the  
,department has to upgrade facilities   
from the lowest-level model1 general    
primary care clinics1 to another model4 
7#e7 ,an assessment of whether any      
facilities could be upgraded to the next
 higher-level model within planned      
investments under the strategic capital 
investment planning process of the      
,department4  7#f7 ,an assessment of    
whether any facilities could be upgraded
 to the next higher-level model with    
minor modifications to existing plans   
under the strategic capital investment  
planning process of the ,department4    
7#g7 ,an assessment of whether the      
,department has a goal for how many     
facilities should fall into each such   
model4  #ejf4 ,report on staffing of    
,department of ,veterans relating to the
 treatment of women  7a7 ,in general    
,not later than #ij days after the date 
of the enactment of this ,act1 and      
annually thereafter1 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        
staffing of the ,department of ,veterans
 ,affairs relating to the treatment of  
women4  7b7 ,elements ,each report      
required by subsection 7a7 shall include
 the following1 disaggregated by        
,veterans ,integrated ,service ,network 
and ,state 7except with respect to      
paragraph 7#d773  7#a7 ,the number of   
women's health centers4  7#b7 ,the      
number of patient aligned care teams of 
the ,department relating to women's     
health4  7#c7 ,the number of full- and  
part-time gynecologists of the          
,department4  7#d7 ,the number of       
designated women's health care providers
 of the ,department1 disaggregated by   
facility of the ,department4  7#e7 ,the 
number of health care providers of the  
,department who have completed a        
mini-residency for women's health care  
through ,women ,veterans ,health ,care  

,mini-,residency ,program of the        
,department during the one-year period  
preceding the submittal of the report1  
and the number that plan to participate 
in such a mini-residency during the     
one-year period following such date4    
7#f7 ,the number of designated women's  
health care providers of the ,department
 who have sufficient female patients to 
retain their competencies and           
proficiencies4