WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski’s (IL-13) legislation, Improving VA Training for Military Sexual Trauma (MST) Claims Act (H.R. 2201), passed unanimously out of the full House of Representatives. Congresswoman Budzinski led this bipartisan effort with Representatives Young Kim (CA-40), Don Bacon (NE-02), and Chrissy Houlahan (PA-06). The bill now heads to the United States Senate for further consideration.
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"Today marks a significant victory for veterans who have endured unimaginable trauma. Those who come forward with Military Sexual Trauma claims have already faced tremendous hardship, and seeking support should never add to that pain, said Congresswoman Budzinski. “It has been an honor to work alongside Congresswoman Kim on this bipartisan bill, which ensures the VA’s claims process avoids retraumatizing MST survivors. With unanimous support from the House, we are one step closer to seeing this bill signed into law and delivering the dignity and justice these veterans deserve.”
“MST survivors have already faced unthinkable treatment and pain. The VA examination process shouldn’t cause more stress,” said Congresswoman Kim. “This bipartisan bill provides much-needed updates to VA training and ensures survivors receive the certainty, compassion, and care they deserve. I thank my colleagues for coming together in a bipartisan manner to pass this commonsense bill out of the House, and I’ll keep fighting to get this over the finish line.”
According to VA officials, the department received 57,400 MST claims in fiscal year 2024, up 18% from the previous year, and approved more than 63% of them, up from roughly 40% more than a decade ago. As the number of claims rises, this legislation seeks to simplify the process for victims, helping them pursue justice without experiencing additional trauma.
The Improving VA Training for Military Sexual Trauma Claims Act:
Requires the VA Secretary to create a plan to improve training for Contracted Disability Compensation Examiners (CDCEs) who assist veterans dealing with MST;
Ensures annual training for all employees of the Veterans Benefits Administration;
Improves quality assurance of CDCEs so MST veterans are not retraumatized during the medical disability examination process;
Requires the VA to automatically obtain all service and personnel medical records for PTSD-based claims filed for in-service personal assault.
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