article: SECTION 1. DISPLAY OF WOMEN VETERANS BILL OF RIGHTS. (a) Display.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall ensure that the Women Veterans Bill of Rights described in subsection (b) is printed on signs in accessible formats and displayed prominently and conspicuously in each facility of the Department of Veterans Affairs and distributed widely to women veterans. (b) Women Veterans Bill of Rights.--The Women Veterans Bill of Rights described in this subsection is a sign stating that women veterans should have the following rights: (1) The right to a coordinated, comprehensive, primary women's health care, at every Department of Veterans Affairs medical facility, including the recognized models of best practices, systems, and structures for care delivery that ensure that every woman veteran has access to a Department of Veterans Affairs primary care provider who can meet all her primary care needs, including gender-specific, acute and chronic illness, preventive, and mental health care. (2) The right to be treated with dignity and respect at all Department of Veterans Affairs facilities. (3) The right to innovation in care delivery promoted and incentivized by the Veterans Health Administration to support local best practices fitted to the particular configuration and women veteran population. (4) The right to request and get treatment by clinicians with specific training and experience in women's health issues. (5) The right to enhanced capabilities of medical providers, clinical support, non-clinical, and administrative, to meet the comprehensive health care needs of women veterans. (6) The right to request and expect gender equity in provision of clinical health care services. (7) The right to equal access to health care services as that of their male counterparts. (8) The right to parity to their male veteran counterpart regarding the outcome of performance measures of health care services. (9) The right to be informed, through outreach campaigns, of benefits under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs and to be included in Department outreach materials for any benefits and service to which they are entitled. (10) The right to be featured proportionately, including by age and ethnicity, in Department outreach materials, including electronic and print media that clearly depict them as being the recipient of the benefits and services provided by the Department. (11) The right to be recognized as an important separate population in new strategic plans for service delivery within the health care system of the Department of Veterans Affairs. (12) The right to equal consideration in hiring and employment for any job to which they apply. (13) The right to equal consideration in securing Federal contracts. (14) The right to equal access and accommodations in homeless programs that will meet their unique family needs. (15) The right to have their claims adjudicated equally, fairly, and accurately without bias or disparate treatment. (16) The right to have their military sexual trauma and other injuries compensated in a way that reflects the level of trauma sustained. (17) The right to expect that all veteran service officers, especially those who are trained by the Department of Veterans Affairs Training Responsibility Involvement Preparation program for claims processing, are required to receive training to be aware of and sensitive to the signs of military sexual trauma, domestic violence, and personal assault. (18) The right to the availability of female personnel to assist them in the disability claims application and appellate processes of the Department. (19) The right to the availability of female compensation and pension examiners. (20) The right to expect specialized training be provided to disability rating personnel regarding military sexual trauma and gender-specific illnesses so that these claims can be adjudicated more accurately. (21) The right to expect the collection of gender-specific data on disability ratings, for the performance of longitudinal and trend analyses, and for other applicable purposes. (22) The right to a method to identify and track outcomes for all claims involving personal assault trauma, regardless of the resulting disability. (23) The right for women veterans' programs and women veteran coordinators to be measured and evaluated for performance, consistency, and accountability. (24) The right to burial benefits under the laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs. SEC. 2. DISPLAY OF INJURED AND AMPUTEE VETERANS BILL OF RIGHTS. (a) Display.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall ensure that the Injured and Amputee Veterans Bill of Rights described in subsection (b) is printed on signs in accessible formats and displayed prominently and conspicuously in each prosthetics and orthotics clinic of the Department of Veterans Affairs. (b) Injured and Amputee Veterans Bill of Rights.--The Injured and Amputee Veterans Bill of Rights described in this subsection is a statement that injured and amputee veterans should have the following rights: (1) The right to access the highest quality prosthetic and orthotic care, including the right to the most appropriate technology and best qualified practitioners. (2) The right to continuity of care in the transition from the Department of Defense health program to the Department of Veterans Affairs health care system, including comparable benefits relating to prosthetic and orthotic services. (3) The right to select the practitioner that best meets their orthotic and prosthetic needs, whether or not that practitioner is an employee of the Department of Veterans Affairs, a private practitioner who has entered into a contract with the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to provide prosthetic and orthotic services, or a private practitioner with specialized expertise. (4) The right to consistent and portable health care, including the right to obtain comparable services and technology at any medical facility of the Department of Veterans Affairs across the country. (5) The right to timely and efficient prosthetic and orthotic care, including a speedy authorization process with expedited authorization available for veterans visiting from another area of the country. (6) The right to play a meaningful role in rehabilitation decisions, including the right to receive a second opinion regarding prosthetic and orthotic treatment options. (7) The right to receive appropriate treatment, including the right to receive both a primary prosthesis or orthosis and a functional spare. (8) The right to be treated with respect and dignity and have an optimal quality of life both during and after rehabilitation. (9) The right to transition and readjust to civilian life in an honorable manner, including by having ample access to vocational rehabilitation, employment programs, and housing assistance. (c) Monitoring and Resolution of Complaints.-- (1) In general.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs, acting through the veteran liaison at each medical center of the Department of Veterans Affairs, shall collect information relating to the alleged mistreatment of injured and amputee veterans. (2) Quarterly reports.--For each fiscal quarter, the veteran liaison at each medical center of the Department shall submit to the Chief Consultant of Prosthetics and Sensory Aids of the Department a report on any information collected under paragraph (1) during that quarter. (3) Investigation and addressing of complaints.--The Chief Consultant, in cooperation with appropriate employees of a medical center of the Department, shall investigate and address any information collected under paragraph (1) at that medical center. SEC. 3. EDUCATION AND OUTREACH. (a) Education of Department Employees.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall ensure that-- (1) all employees of the Department of Veterans Affairs receive training on the Women Veterans Bill of Rights described in section 1; and (2) employees of the Department who work at prosthetics and orthotics clinics and who work as patient advocates with veterans who receive care at such clinics, including Federal recovery coordinators and case managers, receive training on the Injured and Amputee Veterans Bill of Rights described in section 2. (b) Outreach to Veterans.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall conduct outreach to inform veterans about the Women Veterans Bill of Rights described in section 1 and the Injured and Amputee Veterans Bill of Rights described in section 2 by-- (1) ensuring that such Bills of Rights are available on the Internet website of the Department of Veterans Affairs; and (2) conducting other types of outreach targeted at specific groups of veterans, which may include outreach conducted on other Internet websites or through veterans service organizations. SEC. 4. EXCLUSION OF CERTAIN SERVICES. Nothing in this Act shall be construed to establish a right to any service excluded under 38 CFR 17.38, as in effect on the date of the enactment of this Act. Passed the House of Representatives November 30, 2010. Attest: LORRAINE C. MILLER, Clerk.
summary: Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) to ensure that the Women Veterans Bill of Rights is printed on signs in accessible formats and displayed prominently in each VA facility and distributed widely to such veterans. Enumerates health care rights to be included in the Bill of Rights, including the right to: (1) coordinated, comprehensive, primary women's health care at every VA medical facility; (2) treatment by clinicians with specific training and experience in women's health issues; and (3) gender equity in access to and the provision of clinical health care services. Directs the Secretary to ensure that the Injured and Amputee Veterans Bill of Rights is printed on signs in accessible formats and displayed prominently in each VA prosthetics and orthotics clinic. Enumerates rights to be included in such Bill of Rights, including the right to: (1) access the highest quality prosthetic and orthotic care; (2) select the practitioner that best meets their prosthetic and orthotic needs; and (3) timely and efficient prosthetic and orthotic care. Requires the Secretary to collect information relating to alleged mistreatment of injured and amputee veterans. Directs the Secretary to: (1) ensure that all VA employees receive training on the Women Veterans Bill of Rights, and that appropriate VA employees receive training on the Injured and Amputee Veterans Bill of Rights; and (2) conduct outreach to inform veterans about both Bills of Rights, and to make them available on the VA Internet website.