,,ii  #aaith ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #acbj  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,april #h1     
#bjbe ,mrs4 ,murray 7for herself and    
,ms4 ,ernst7 introduced the following   
bill2 which was read twice and referred 
to the ,committee on ,veterans' ,affairs
  ,a ,,bill  ,to direct the ,secretary  
of ,defense and the ,secretary of       
,veterans ,affairs to take certain steps
 regarding research related to          
menopause1 perimenopause1 or mid-life   
women's health1 and for other purposes4 
#a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited
 as the ,servicewomen and ,veterans     
,menopause ,research ,act4  #b4         
,definitions ,in this ,act3  7#a7       
,covered provider ,the term covered     
provider means a health care provider   
employed by the ,department of ,defense 
or the ,department of ,veterans         
,affairs4  7#b7 ,menopause ,the term    
menopause means the stage of a woman's  
life--  7,a7 when menstrual periods stop
 permanently and she can no longer get  

pregnant2 and  7,b7 that is not a       
disease state1 but a normal part of     
aging for women4  7#c7 ,mid-life ,the   
term mid-life means a life stage that-- 
7,a7 coincides with the menopausal      
transition in women1 which may be       
physical or emotional2  7,b7 encompasses
 the late reproductive age1 which can   
begin at approximately #ce years of age1
 to the late postmenopausal stages of   
reproductive aging1 which can extend to 
approximately #fe years of age2 and     
7,c7 often marks the onset of many      
chronic diseases4  7#d7 ,perimenopause  
,the term perimenopause means the time  
during a woman's life when levels of the
 hormone estrogen fall unevenly in a    
woman's body and is also called the     
menopausal transition4  7#e7            
,postmenopausal ,the term postmenopausal
 means the stage of a woman's life after
 a woman has been without a menstrual   
period for #ab months that lasts for the
 rest of a woman's life and reflects a  
time when women are at increased risk   

for osteoporosis and heart disease4  #c4
 ,evaluation of certain research related
 to menopause1 perimenopause1 or        
mid-life women's health  7a7 ,in general
 ,the ,secretary of ,defense1 in        
coordination with ,secretary of         
,veterans ,affairs1 shall evaluate--    
7#a7 the results of completed research  
related to menopause1 perimenopause1 or 
mid-life women's health among women who 
are members of the ,armed ,forces or    
veterans2  7#b7 the status of such      
research that is ongoing2  7#c7 any gaps
 in knowledge and research on--  7,a7   
treatments for menopause-related        
symptoms1 including hormone and         
non-hormone treatments2  7,b7 the safety
 and effectiveness of treatments for    
menopause-related symptoms2  7,c7 the   
relation of service in the ,armed       
,forces to perimenopause and menopause  
and the impact of such service on       
perimenopause and menopause2  7,d7 the  
effect of combat roles on symptoms      
relating to perimenopause and menopause1

 including exposure to burn pits1 toxic 
chemicals1 and perfluoroalkyl and       
polyfluoroalkyl substances 7commonly    
known as ,,pfas72 and  7,e7 the impact  
of perimenopause and menopause on the   
mental health of women who are members  
of the ,armed ,forces or veterans2  7#d7
 the availability of and uptake of      
professional training resources for     
covered providers relating to mid-life  
women's health with respect to the care1
 treatment1 and management of           
perimenopause and menopausal symptoms1  
and related support services2 and  7#e7 
the availability of and uptake of       
treatments for women who are members of 
the ,armed ,forces or veterans who are  
experiencing perimenopause or menopause4
  7b7 ,report2 strategic plan ,not later
 than #ahj days after the date of the   
enactment of this ,act1 the ,secretary  
of ,defense and the ,secretary of       
,veterans ,affairs shall each submit to 
,congress a report containing--  7#a7   
the findings of the evaluation conducted

 under subsection 7a72  7#b7            
recommendations for improving           
professional training resources         
described in subsection 7a77#d7 for     
covered providers2 and  7#c7 a strategic
 plan that-- 7,a7 resolves the gaps in  
knowledge and research identified in the
 report2 and  7,b7 identifies topics in 
need of further research relating to    
potential treatments for                
menopause-related symptoms of women who 
are members of the ,armed ,forces or    
veterans4  7c7 ,nonduplication and      
supplementation of efforts ,in carrying 
out activities under this section1 the  
,secretary of ,defense and the          
,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs shall  
ensure that such activities minimize    
duplication and supplement1 not         
supplant1 existing information-sharing  
efforts of the ,department of ,health   
and ,human ,services4  #d4 ,sense of    
,congress on additional research related
 to menopause1 perimenopause1 or        
mid-life women's health ,it is the sense

 of ,congress that the ,secretary of    
,defense and the ,secretary of ,veterans
 ,affairs should each conduct research  
related to menopause1 perimenopause1 or 
mid-life health regarding women who are 
members of the ,armed ,forces or        
veterans4