,i  #aagth ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #dhde  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,july #bi1 #bjba,mr4 
,pappas 7for himself1 ,ms4 ,scanlon1    
,ms4 ,norton1 ,mr4 ,tonko1 ,mr4         
,auchincloss1 ,mrs4 ,murphy of ,florida1
 ,mr4 ,peters1 ,mr4 ,courtney1 ,mr4     
,soto1 ,mrs4 ,hayes1 and ,ms4 ,chu7     
introduced the following bill2 which was
 referred to the ,committee on          
,veterans' ,affairs  ,a ,,bill  ,to     
amend title #ch1 ,united ,states ,code1 
to establish the ,advisory ,committee on
 ,lesbian1 ,gay1 ,bisexual1             
,transgender1 and ,queer ,veterans4  #a4
 ,establishment of ,advisory ,committee 
on ,lesbian1 ,gay1 ,bisexual1           
,transgender1 and ,queer ,veterans  7a7 
,establishment ,subchapter ,,iii of     
chapter #e of title #ch1 ,united ,states
 ,code1 is amended by adding at the end 
the following new section3  #edh4       
,advisory ,committee on ,lesbian1 ,gay1 
,bisexual1 ,transgender1 and ,queer     
,veterans  7a7 ,establishment ,there is 

in the ,department the ,advisory        
,committee on ,lesbian1 ,gay1 ,bisexual1
 ,transgender1 and ,queer ,veterans 7in 
this section referred to as the         
,committee74  7b7 ,membership  7#a7 ,the
 ,committee shall consist of members    
appointed by the ,secretary from the    
general public1 including-- 7,a7        
representatives of ,,lgbtq veterans2    
7,b7 individuals who are recognized     
authorities in fields pertinent to the  
needs of ,,lgbtq veterans1 including the
 specific health-care needs of ,,lgbtq  
veterans2  7,c7 representatives of      
,,lgbtq veterans with service-connected 
disabilities1 including at least one    
lesbian1 gay1 or bisexual veteran with a
 service-connected disability1 and at   
least one transgender veteran with a    
service-connected disability2  7,d7     
veterans who are minority group members1
 as defined in section #edd of this     
title2 and  7,e7 ,,lgbtq veterans who   
are recently separated from service in  
the ,armed ,forces1 including veterans  

who were involuntarily separated from   
the ,armed ,forces due to being ,,lgbtq4
  7#b7 ,the ,committee shall include1 as
 ex officio members-- 7,a7 the          
,secretary of ,labor 7or the designee of
 the ,secretary of ,labor after         
consultation with the ,assistant        
,secretary of ,labor for ,veterans'     
,employment72  7,b7 the ,secretary of   
,defense 7or the designee of the        
,secretary of ,defense72  7,c7 the      
,under ,secretary for ,health 7or the   
designee of such ,under ,secretary72 and
  7,d7 the ,under ,secretary for        
,benefits 7or the designee of such      
,under ,secretary74  7#c7 ,the          
,secretary may invite representatives of
 other ,federal departments and agencies
 to participate in the meetings and     
other activities of the ,committee4     
7#d7 ,the ,secretary shall determine the
 number1 terms of service1 and pay and  
allowances of members of the ,committee 
appointed by the ,secretary1 except that
 a term of service of any such member   

may not exceed three years4 ,the        
,secretary may reappoint any such member
 for additional terms of service4  7#e7 
,the ,committee shall meet as often as  
the ,secretary determines necessary or  
appropriate1 but not less often than    
twice each fiscal year4  7c7            
,consultation ,the ,secretary shall     
consult regularly with and seek the     
advice of the ,committee with respect to
 the administration of benefits by the  
,secretary for ,,lgbtq veterans1 reports
 and studies pertaining to ,,lgbtq      
veterans and the needs of ,,lgbtq       
veterans with respect to compensation1  
health care1 rehabilitation1 outreach1  
and other benefits and programs         
administered by the ,secretary1         
including the ,center for ,women        
,veterans and ,center for ,minority     
,veterans4  7d7 ,reporting  7#a7 ,not   
later than ,july #a of each             
even-numbered year1 the ,committee shall
 submit to the ,secretary a report on   
the programs and activities of the      

,department that pertain to ,,lgbtq     
veterans4 ,each such report shall       
include-- 7,a7 an assessment of the     
needs of ,,lgbtq veterans with respect  
to compensation1 health care1           
rehabilitation1 outreach1 and other     
benefits and programs administered by   
the ,secretary2  7,b7 a review of the   
programs and activities of the          
,department designed to meet such needs2
 and  7,c7 such recommendations         
7including recommendations for          
administrative and legislative action7  
as the ,committee determines            
appropriate4  7#b7 ,the ,secretary      
shall1 not later than #fj days after    
receiving each report under paragraph   
7#a71 submit to the ,congress a copy of 
the report1 together with any comments  
concerning the report that the          
,secretary determines appropriate4  7#c7
 ,the ,committee may also submit to the 
,secretary such other reports and       
recommendations the ,committee          
determines appropriate4  7#d7 ,the      

,secretary shall submit1 with each      
annual report submitted to ,congress    
pursuant to section #ebi of this title1 
a summary of all reports and            
recommendations of the ,committee       
received by the ,secretary since the    
previous such annual report4  7e7       
,,lgbtq defined ,in this section1 the   
term ,,lgbtq means lesbian1 gay1        
bisexual1 transgender1 or queer4  4  7b7
 ,clerical amendment ,the table of      
sections at the beginning of such       
chapter is amended by adding after the  
item relating to section #edg the       
following new item3  #edh4 ,advisory    
,committee on ,lesbian1 ,gay1 ,bisexual1
 ,transgender1 and ,queer ,veterans4  4