Sec. 364. Reports on military sexual trauma and domestic abuse
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Not later than 630 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, 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 treatment and services available from the Department of Veterans Affairs for male veterans who experience military sexual trauma compared to such treatment and services available to female veterans who experience military sexual trauma.
Not later than two years after the implementation of the screening mechanism required by section 363(a) of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs and the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, shall jointly submit to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the House of Representatives a report on domestic abuse among veterans that includes the following:
A summary of the types, outcomes, and circumstances of incidents of domestic abuse that have been reported by veterans during the two-year period preceding the submission of the report. A summary of the treatments available from the Department of Veterans Affairs for veterans who experience domestic abuse and an assessment of the effectiveness of those treatments. Data and analysis on any correlation between an incident of military sexual trauma or sexual trauma experienced after the age of 18 and domestic abuse.
Any other issues that the Secretary of Veterans Affairs or the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention determines appropriate. Not later than 630 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter for five years, the Department of Veterans Affairs-Department of Defense Joint Executive Committee established by section 320(a) of title 38, United States Code, shall submit to the appropriate committees of Congress a report on military sexual trauma and domestic abuse that includes the following:
The processes and procedures utilized by the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Defense to facilitate transition of treatment of individuals who have experienced military sexual trauma or domestic abuse from treatment provided by the Department of Defense to treatment provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs. A description and assessment of the collaboration between the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Defense in assisting veterans in filing claims for disabilities related to military sexual trauma or domestic abuse, including permitting veterans access to information and evidence necessary to develop or support such claims.
In this section: The term appropriate committees of Congress means— the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs and the Committee on Armed Services of the Senate; and the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs and the Committee on Armed Services of the House of Representatives. The term domestic abuse has the meaning given that term in section 363(c) of this Act. The term military sexual trauma means psychological trauma, which in the judgment of a mental health professional employed by the Department, resulted from a physical assault of a sexual nature, battery of a sexual nature, or sexual harassment which occurred while the veteran was serving on active duty or active duty for training.
The term sexual harassment means repeated, unsolicited verbal or physical contact of a sexual nature which is threatening in character. The term sexual trauma shall have the meaning given that term by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs for purposes of this section. This section shall take effect on the date that is 270 days after the date of the enactment of this Act.