Sec. 602. Case representative officers for military sexual trauma support
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/bill/113/s/1982/rts/section-602·A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.
The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall assign to each individual seeking compensation under the laws administered by the Secretary based on military sexual trauma a case representative officer who shall provide advice and general information to such individual on the claims process for such compensation. Each case representative officer so assigned shall be assigned from among current personnel of the Department of Veterans Affairs. A case representative officer assigned to an individual under subsection
(a)shall be responsible for serving as a liaison between the individual, an authorized agent or attorney of the individual under section 5904 of title 38, United States Code, or an otherwise accredited representative of the individual, and the Department of Veterans Affairs on matters relating to the claim of the individual for compensation under the laws administered by the Secretary. Each case representative officer assigned under subsection
(a)shall be competent and knowledgeable about the following: The claims adjudication process and applicable laws, regulations, and other authority applicable to the adjudication of disability claims based on military sexual trauma. Such other services to victims of sexual trauma as the Secretary considers appropriate. A case representative officer may not be assigned to more individuals described in subsection
(a)than, as determined by the Secretary, is appropriate for the provision of individual case management assistance by such officer. The Secretary shall make available to the public information on the availability of case representative officers under subsection
(a)to assist in the application for benefits based on military sexual trauma. The Secretary shall revise and update the information so made available in order to ensure that the information is as current as possible. The Secretary shall, in consultation with the Secretary of Defense, ensure that individuals who are being separated from the active military, naval, or air service are provided appropriate information about programs, requirements, and procedures for applying for benefits based on military sexual trauma and the availability of case representative officers under subsection (a). The Secretary shall make available to the authorized agent or attorney of an individual assigned a case representative under subsection (a), or to the otherwise accredited representative of the individual, any relevant materials used to train such case representative officer for the duties of such position. The Advisory Committee on Women Veterans established under section 542 of title 38, United States Code, shall undertake actions to identify mechanisms to enhance coordination between the Veterans Benefits Administration and the Veterans Health Administration in the provision of benefits based on military sexual trauma, including the identification of barriers to the appropriate provision of benefits for military sexual trauma by such Administrations and of means of eliminating or reducing such barriers. Not less frequently than annually, 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 setting forth the following: A certification whether or not the case representative officers assigned under subsection
(a)during the preceding year met the requirements specified in subsection (c). A description of the current training the Secretary provides to employees of the Veterans Benefits Administration on claims for benefits based on military sexual trauma, including the frequency, length, and content of such training. A description of current policies and procedures on the training the Secretary provides to case representative officers, including the current position descriptions for case representative officers. A description of current efforts to coordinate activities and assistance provided to individuals who seek care or benefits for military sexual trauma between the Veterans Health Administration and Veterans Benefits Administration, including the efforts of the Advisory Committee on Women Veterans under subsection (f). No case representative officer may be assigned under subsection
(a)after December 31, 2018. Paragraph
(1)shall not be construed to prohibit any case representative officer assigned to an individual before the date specified in that paragraph from performing duties pursuant to this section after that date with respect to a claim for which that case representative officer was assigned to such individual before that date. In this section: The term active military, naval, or air service has the meaning given that term in section 101 of title 38, United States Code. The term military sexual trauma shall have the meaning specified by the Secretary for purposes of this section, and shall include sexual harassment (as so specified).