,,ii  #aagth ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,s4 #ddda  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,june #bb1     
#bjbb,ms4 ,cortez ,masto 7for herself1  
,mr4 ,boozman1 and ,mr4 ,blumenthal7    
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 direct the ,secretary 
of ,veterans ,affairs to provide for    
peer support specialists for claimants  
who are survivors of military sexual    
trauma1 and for other purposes4  #a4    
,improvements to the processing of      
claims by veterans for compensation for 
certain mental health conditions based  
on military sexual trauma  7a7 ,in      
general ,section #aaff of title #ch1    
,united ,states ,code1 is amended-- 7#a7
 by striking or air service both places 
it appears and inserting air1 or space  
service2  7#b7 in subsection 7a7-- 7,a7 
in the heading1 by striking ,in general 
and inserting ,processing2  7,b7 by     

inserting 7#a7 before ,the ,secretary2  
and  7,c7 by adding at the end the      
following new paragraphs3  7#b7 ,a peer 
support specialist of the ,department-- 
7,a7 shall not be responsible for       
providing any assistance to a veteran   
regarding a claim described in paragraph
 7#a71 other than counseling services1  
guidance1 and support1 pursuant to      
duties determined by the ,under         
,secretary for ,health2 and  7,b7 shall 
not participate in the adjudication of  
such a claim4  2  7#c7 by redesignating 
subsections 7b7 and 7c7 as subsections  
7c7 and 7d71 respectively2  7#d7 by     
inserting1 after subsection 7a71 the    
following new subsection 7b73  7b7      
,referrals to ,,mst coordinators ,the   
,secretary shall include1 in forms for  
claims described in subsection 7a71 an  
option for a veteran to elect to be     
referred to a military sexual trauma    
coordinator of the ,veterans ,health    
,administration at the facility of the  
,department nearest to the residence of 

such veteran4  2 and  7#e7 in subsection
 7c71 as redesignated-- 7,a7 by         
inserting 7#a7 before ,the ,secretary2  
and  7,b7 by adding at the end the      
following new paragraphs3  7#b7 ,the    
,secretary shall ensure that peer       
support specialists of the ,department  
receive annual training on how to       
provide peer support regarding military 
sexual trauma4  7#c7 ,the ,secretary    
shall provide annual training1 regarding
 the processing of claims described in  
subsection 7a71 to the following        
individuals3 7,a7 ,military sexual      
trauma coordinators of the ,veterans    
,health ,administration4  7,b7 ,peer    
support specialists of the ,department4 
2  7b7 ,clerical amendments  7#a7       
,section heading ,the heading of such   
section is amended by striking          
,specialized teams to evaluate claims   
and inserting ,claims4  7#b7 ,table of  
sections ,the table of sections at the  
beginning of chapter #aa of such title  
is amended by striking the item relating

 to section #aaff and inserting the     
following3  #aaff4 ,claims involving    
military sexual trauma4  4