SALEM – Congressman David Wu (D-Ore.) has co-sponsored legislation aimed at improving access and care for women veterans at VA medical facilities. H.R. 1211, the Women Veterans Health Care Improvement Act has been referred to the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs for consideration.

“We must keep our promise to our nation's veterans, including the thousands of women who have risked their lives for our country,” Wu said. “Our female veterans deserve health care and services that are tailored to their specific needs, and I am proud to co-sponsor this legislation to expand and improve the services they receive.”

The bill addresses six areas of need and focuses on women veterans who have served in Operation Enduring Freedom (Afghanistan) and Operation Iraqi Freedom. Specifically, the bill does the following:

• Mandates the Veterans Health Administration study the VA health care system and determine barriers women veterans face to receiving VA care;
• Mandates a comprehensive assessment of women’s health care programs of the Department of Veterans Affairs;
• Provides for medical care for newborn children of women veterans receiving maternity care;
• Mandates training and certification for mental health care providers of the Department of Veterans Affairs on care for veterans suffering from sexual trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder;
• Creates a pilot program for provisions of child care assistance to certain veterans receiving certain types of health care services from the VA;
• Adds recently separated women and minority veterans to serve on advisory committees.

“On behalf of Oregon’s veterans – especially our women veterans – I want to thank Congressman Wu for addressing this vital issue,” said Oregon Department of Veterans’ Affairs Director Jim Willis. “Our female veterans need appropriate care that they currently may not find in a male-centric VA system. H.R. 1211 will help identify what needs to be done to provide our women warriors the right care in the right way.”

The Women Veterans Health Care Improvement Act focuses on many of the same issues outlined by they Governor’s Task Force on Veterans’ Services, which identified gaps in VA health care for women veterans, military sexual trauma and issues of child care for women veterans seeking treatment.

“H.R. 1211 will pick up where the Task Force left off,” said Paul Evans, chairman of the Governor’s Task Force and policy advisor to Gov. Ted Kulongoski on veterans issues. “This is the needed next step to ensure that the nearly 200,000 women, who have served in the most recent combat zones, receive appropriate and adequate health care,” he said.

For more information regarding H.R. 1211, contact Congressman Wu’s office at: 503-326-2901 or 800-422-4003 (Toll free in the 1st Congressional District).
 

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