H.R. 6961: Dignity for MST Survivors Act
Bill · 117th Congress (2021–2022). Became law, 27 Dec 2022 · Public Law 117-300. Introduced 7 Mar 2022.
Official title: To amend title 38, United States Code, to improve hearings before the Board of Veterans' Appeals regarding claims involving military sexual trauma.
Vote results
- House, 18 May 2022: Passed, 405 Yea, 12 Nay, 0 Present, 11 Not voting. The House’s roll call
- Senate, 19 Dec 2022: agreed to by unanimous consent; the record lists no member’s position. In the record’s words: “Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent.”
- President: Signed 27 Dec 2022 · Public Law 117-300
How each member voted
White House
Signed (1): Joseph Biden (D, President).
Not in office (1): Donald Trump (R, President).
Senate
Agreed to by unanimous consent: the record lists no member’s position.
House
Yea (405): Harold Rogers (R-KY-5); Christopher H. Smith (R-NJ-4); Steny H. Hoyer (D-MD-5); Marcy Kaptur (D-OH-9); Peter A. DeFazio (D-OR-4); Fred Upton (R-MI-6); Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ-6); Richard E. Neal (D-MA-1); David E. Price (D-NC-4); Jim Cooper (D-TN-5); Rosa L. DeLauro (D-CT-3); Maxine Waters (D-CA-43); Jerrold Nadler (D-NY-10); Sanford D. Bishop, Jr. (D-GA-2); Ken Calvert (R-CA-42); James E. Clyburn (D-SC-6); Anna G. Eshoo (D-CA-18); Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX-30); Carolyn B. Maloney (D-NY-12); Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-CA-40); Bobby L. Rush (D-IL-1); Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (D-VA-3); Nydia M. Velázquez (D-NY-7); Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS-2); Frank D. Lucas (R-OK-3); Lloyd Doggett (D-TX-35); Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX-18); Zoe Lofgren (D-CA-19); Steve Chabot (R-OH-1); Robert B. Aderholt (R-AL-4); Kevin Brady (R-TX-8); Danny K. Davis (D-IL-7); Diana DeGette (D-CO-1); Kay Granger (R-TX-12); Ron Kind (D-WI-3); James P. McGovern (D-MA-2); Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-NJ-9); Brad Sherman (D-CA-30); Adam Smith (D-WA-9); Gregory W. Meeks (D-NY-5); Barbara Lee (D-CA-13); John B. Larson (D-CT-1); Grace F. Napolitano (D-CA-32); Janice D. Schakowsky (D-IL-9); Michael K. Simpson (R-ID-2); Mike Thompson (D-CA-5); Pete Sessions (R-TX-17); Sam Graves (R-MO-6); James R. Langevin (D-RI-2); Rick Larsen (D-WA-2); Betty McCollum (D-MN-4); Adam B. Schiff (D-CA-28); Stephen F. Lynch (D-MA-8); Joe Wilson (R-SC-2); Michael C. Burgess (R-TX-26); John R. Carter (R-TX-31); Tom Cole (R-OK-4); Mario Diaz-Balart (R-FL-25); Raúl M. Grijalva (D-AZ-3); Mike Rogers (R-AL-3); C. A. Dutch Ruppersberger (D-MD-2); Tim Ryan (D-OH-13); David Scott (D-GA-13); Linda T. Sánchez (D-CA-38); Michael R. Turner (R-OH-10); Darrell Issa (R-CA-50); Emanuel Cleaver (D-MO-5); Jim Costa (D-CA-16); Henry Cuellar (D-TX-28); Al Green (D-TX-9); Brian Higgins (D-NY-26); Michael T. McCaul (R-TX-10); Patrick T. McHenry (R-NC-10); Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA-5); Gwen Moore (D-WI-4); Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL-23); Doris O. Matsui (D-CA-6); Albio Sires (D-NJ-8); Gus M. Bilirakis (R-FL-12); Vern Buchanan (R-FL-16); Kathy Castor (D-FL-14); Yvette D. Clarke (D-NY-9); Steve Cohen (D-TN-9); Joe Courtney (D-CT-2); Henry C. "Hank" Johnson, Jr. (D-GA-4); Jim Jordan (R-OH-4); Doug Lamborn (R-CO-5); Kevin McCarthy (R-CA-23); Jerry McNerney (D-CA-9); Ed Perlmutter (D-CO-7); John P. Sarbanes (D-MD-3); Adrian Smith (R-NE-3); Peter Welch (D-VT-AL); Robert E. Latta (R-OH-5); Robert J. Wittman (R-VA-1); André Carson (D-IN-7); Jackie Speier (D-CA-14); Steve Scalise (R-LA-1); Tim Walberg (R-MI-7); Gerald E. Connolly (D-VA-11); Brett Guthrie (R-KY-2); James A. Himes (D-CT-4); Blaine Luetkemeyer (R-MO-3); Tom McClintock (R-CA-4); Chellie Pingree (D-ME-1); Bill Posey (R-FL-8); Glenn Thompson (R-PA-15); Paul Tonko (D-NY-20); Kurt Schrader (D-OR-5); Mike Quigley (D-IL-5); Judy Chu (D-CA-27); John Garamendi (D-CA-3); Bill Foster (D-IL-11); Karen Bass (D-CA-37); Larry Bucshon (R-IN-8); David N. Cicilline (D-RI-1); Eric A. "Rick" Crawford (R-AR-1); Scott DesJarlais (R-TN-4); Jeff Duncan (R-SC-3); Charles J. "Chuck" Fleischmann (R-TN-3); Bob Gibbs (R-OH-7); H. Morgan Griffith (R-VA-9); Andy Harris (R-MD-1); Vicky Hartzler (R-MO-4); Jaime Herrera Beutler (R-WA-3); Bill Huizenga (R-MI-2); Bill Johnson (R-OH-6); William R. Keating (D-MA-9); Mike Kelly (R-PA-16); Billy Long (R-MO-7); David B. McKinley (R-WV-1); David Schweikert (R-AZ-6); Austin Scott (R-GA-8); Terri A. Sewell (D-AL-7); Daniel Webster (R-FL-11); Frederica S. Wilson (D-FL-24); Steve Womack (R-AR-3); Dina Titus (D-NV-1); Kweisi Mfume (D-MD-7); Mark E. Amodei (R-NV-2); Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR-1); Suzan K. DelBene (D-WA-1); Donald M. Payne, Jr. (D-NJ-10); Andy Barr (R-KY-6); Joyce Beatty (D-OH-3); Ami Bera (D-CA-7); Julia Brownley (D-CA-26); Cheri Bustos (D-IL-17); Matt Cartwright (D-PA-8); Joaquin Castro (D-TX-20); Tony Cárdenas (D-CA-29); Rodney Davis (R-IL-13); Lois Frankel (D-FL-21); Richard Hudson (R-NC-8); Jared Huffman (D-CA-2); Hakeem S. Jeffries (D-NY-8); David P. Joyce (R-OH-14); Daniel T. Kildee (D-MI-5); Derek Kilmer (D-WA-6); Ann Kirkpatrick (D-AZ-2); Ann M. Kuster (D-NH-2); Doug LaMalfa (R-CA-1); Alan S. Lowenthal (D-CA-47); Sean Patrick Maloney (D-NY-18); Grace Meng (D-NY-6); Markwayne Mullin (R-OK-2); Scott Perry (R-PA-10); Scott H. Peters (D-CA-52); Mark Pocan (D-WI-2); Tom Rice (R-SC-7); Raul Ruiz (D-CA-36); Chris Stewart (R-UT-2); Eric Swalwell (D-CA-15); Mark Takano (D-CA-41); Juan Vargas (D-CA-51); Marc A. Veasey (D-TX-33); Ann Wagner (R-MO-2); Randy K. Weber, Sr. (R-TX-14); Brad R. Wenstrup (R-OH-2); Roger Williams (R-TX-25); Robin L. Kelly (D-IL-2); Jason Smith (R-MO-8); Katherine M. Clark (D-MA-5); Alma S. Adams (D-NC-12); Donald Norcross (D-NJ-1); Pete Aguilar (D-CA-31); Rick W. Allen (R-GA-12); Brian Babin (R-TX-36); Donald S. Beyer, Jr. (D-VA-8); Mike Bost (R-IL-12); Brendan F. Boyle (D-PA-2); Ken Buck (R-CO-4); Earl L. "Buddy" Carter (R-GA-1); Ed Case (D-HI-1); Mark DeSaulnier (D-CA-11); Debbie Dingell (D-MI-12); Tom Emmer (R-MN-6); Ruben Gallego (D-AZ-7); Garret Graves (R-LA-6); Glenn Grothman (R-WI-6); J. French Hill (R-AR-2); John Katko (R-NY-24); Brenda L. Lawrence (D-MI-14); Ted Lieu (D-CA-33); Barry Loudermilk (R-GA-11); John R. Moolenaar (R-MI-4); Alexander X. Mooney (R-WV-2); Seth Moulton (D-MA-6); Dan Newhouse (R-WA-4); Gary J. Palmer (R-AL-6); Kathleen M. Rice (D-NY-4); David Rouzer (R-NC-7); Elise M. Stefanik (R-NY-21); Norma J. Torres (D-CA-35); Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ-12); Bruce Westerman (R-AR-4); Lee M. Zeldin (R-NY-1); Bradley Scott Schneider (D-IL-10); David G. Valadao (R-CA-21); Trent Kelly (R-MS-1); Darin LaHood (R-IL-18); Warren Davidson (R-OH-8); James Comer (R-KY-1); Dwight Evans (D-PA-3); Don Bacon (R-NE-2); Jim Banks (R-IN-3); Nanette Diaz Barragán (D-CA-44); Jack Bergman (R-MI-1); Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE-AL); Anthony G. Brown (D-MD-4); Salud O. Carbajal (D-CA-24); Liz Cheney (R-WY-AL); J. Luis Correa (D-CA-46); Val Butler Demings (D-FL-10); Neal P. Dunn (R-FL-2); Adriano Espaillat (D-NY-13); A. Drew Ferguson IV (R-GA-3); Brian K. Fitzpatrick (R-PA-1); Matt Gaetz (R-FL-1); Mike Gallagher (R-WI-8); Vicente Gonzalez (D-TX-15); Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ-5); Clay Higgins (R-LA-3); Trey Hollingsworth (R-IN-9); Steven Horsford (D-NV-4); Pramila Jayapal (D-WA-7); Mike Johnson (R-LA-4); Ro Khanna (D-CA-17); Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL-8); David Kustoff (R-TN-8); Al Lawson, Jr. (D-FL-5); Stephanie N. Murphy (D-FL-7); Tom O’Halleran (D-AZ-1); Jimmy Panetta (D-CA-20); Jamie Raskin (D-MD-8); John H. Rutherford (R-FL-4); Lloyd Smucker (R-PA-11); Darren Soto (D-FL-9); Thomas R. Suozzi (D-NY-3); Jimmy Gomez (D-CA-34); John R. Curtis (R-UT-3); Conor Lamb (D-PA-17); Debbie Lesko (R-AZ-8); Troy Balderson (R-OH-12); Kevin Hern (R-OK-1); Joseph D. Morelle (D-NY-25); Mary Gay Scanlon (D-PA-5); Susan Wild (D-PA-7); Colin Z. Allred (D-TX-32); Kelly Armstrong (R-ND-AL); Cynthia Axne (D-IA-3); James R. Baird (R-IN-4); Tim Burchett (R-TN-2); Sean Casten (D-IL-6); Ben Cline (R-VA-6); Angie Craig (D-MN-2); Dan Crenshaw (R-TX-2); Jason Crow (D-CO-6); Sharice Davids (D-KS-3); Madeleine Dean (D-PA-4); Veronica Escobar (D-TX-16); Lizzie Fletcher (D-TX-7); Russ Fulcher (R-ID-1); Sylvia R. Garcia (D-TX-29); Jesús G. "Chuy" García (D-IL-4); Jared F. Golden (D-ME-2); Anthony Gonzalez (R-OH-16); Lance Gooden (R-TX-5); Mark E. Green (R-TN-7); Michael Guest (R-MS-3); Josh Harder (D-CA-10); Jahana Hayes (D-CT-5); Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA-6); Dusty Johnson (R-SD-AL); John Joyce (R-PA-13); Andy Kim (D-NJ-3); Susie Lee (D-NV-3); Andy Levin (D-MI-9); Mike Levin (D-CA-49); Elaine G. Luria (D-VA-2); Tom Malinowski (D-NJ-7); Lucy McBath (D-GA-6); Daniel Meuser (R-PA-9); Carol D. Miller (R-WV-3); Joe Neguse (D-CO-2); Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY-14); Ilhan Omar (D-MN-5); Chris Pappas (D-NH-1); Greg Pence (R-IN-6); Dean Phillips (D-MN-3); Katie Porter (D-CA-45); Ayanna Pressley (D-MA-7); Guy Reschenthaler (R-PA-14); John W. Rose (R-TN-6); Kim Schrier (D-WA-8); Mikie Sherrill (D-NJ-11); Elissa Slotkin (D-MI-8); Abigail Davis Spanberger (D-VA-7); Greg Stanton (D-AZ-9); Pete Stauber (R-MN-8); Bryan Steil (R-WI-1); W. Gregory Steube (R-FL-17); Haley M. Stevens (D-MI-11); Van Taylor (R-TX-3); William R. Timmons IV (R-SC-4); Rashida Tlaib (D-MI-13); Lori Trahan (D-MA-3); David J. Trone (D-MD-6); Lauren Underwood (D-IL-14); Jefferson Van Drew (R-NJ-2); Michael Waltz (R-FL-6); Jennifer Wexton (D-VA-10); Claudia Tenney (R-NY-22); Fred Keller (R-PA-12); Dan Bishop (R-NC-9); Gregory F. Murphy (R-NC-3); Mike Garcia (R-CA-25); Thomas P. Tiffany (R-WI-7); Chris Jacobs (R-NY-27); Jake Auchincloss (D-MA-4); Cliff Bentz (R-OR-2); Stephanie I. Bice (R-OK-5); Carolyn Bourdeaux (D-GA-7); Jamaal Bowman (D-NY-16); Cori Bush (D-MO-1); Kat Cammack (R-FL-3); Jerry L. Carl (R-AL-1); Madison Cawthorn (R-NC-11); Byron Donalds (R-FL-19); Pat Fallon (R-TX-4); Randy Feenstra (R-IA-4); Michelle Fischbach (R-MN-7); Scott Fitzgerald (R-WI-5); Scott Franklin (R-FL-15); Andrew R. Garbarino (R-NY-2); Carlos A. Gimenez (R-FL-26); Tony Gonzales (R-TX-23); Diana Harshbarger (R-TN-1); Yvette Herrell (R-NM-2); Ashley Hinson (R-IA-1); Ronny Jackson (R-TX-13); Sara Jacobs (D-CA-53); Mondaire Jones (D-NY-17); Kaiali’i Kahele (D-HI-2); Young Kim (R-CA-39); Jake LaTurner (R-KS-2); Teresa Leger Fernandez (D-NM-3); Nancy Mace (R-SC-1); Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY-11); Tracey Mann (R-KS-1); Kathy E. Manning (D-NC-6); Lisa C. McClain (R-MI-10); Peter Meijer (R-MI-3); Mary E. Miller (R-IL-15); Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-IA-2); Barry Moore (R-AL-2); Blake D. Moore (R-UT-1); Frank J. Mrvan (D-IN-1); Troy E. Nehls (R-TX-22); Marie Newman (D-IL-3); Jay Obernolte (R-CA-8); Burgess Owens (R-UT-4); Matthew M. Rosendale, Sr. (R-MT-AL); Deborah K. Ross (D-NC-2); Maria Elvira Salazar (R-FL-27); Victoria Spartz (R-IN-5); Michelle Steel (R-CA-48); Marilyn Strickland (D-WA-10); Ritchie Torres (D-NY-15); Beth Van Duyne (R-TX-24); Nikema Williams (D-GA-5); Julia Letlow (R-LA-5); Troy A. Carter (D-LA-2); Melanie A. Stansbury (D-NM-1); Jake Ellzey (R-TX-6); Shontel M. Brown (D-OH-11); Mike Carey (R-OH-15); Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-FL-20); Michael F. Doyle (D-PA-18); G. K. Butterfield (D-NC-1); Theodore E. Deutch (D-FL-22); Jackie Walorski (R-IN-2); A. Donald McEachin (D-VA-4); Charlie Crist (D-FL-13); Antonio Delgado (D-NY-19).
Nay (12): Louie Gohmert (R-TX-1); Paul A. Gosar (R-AZ-4); Thomas Massie (R-KY-4); Jody B. Hice (R-GA-10); Andy Biggs (R-AZ-5); Ralph Norman (R-SC-5); Michael Cloud (R-TX-27); Chip Roy (R-TX-21); Lauren Boebert (R-CO-3); Andrew S. Clyde (R-GA-9); Bob Good (R-VA-5); Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA-14).
Not voting (11): Earl Blumenauer (D-OR-3); Virginia Foxx (R-NC-5); John A. Yarmuth (D-KY-3); Mo Brooks (R-AL-5); Adam Kinzinger (R-IL-16); Steven M. Palazzo (R-MS-4); Jodey C. Arrington (R-TX-19); Ted Budd (R-NC-13); Brian J. Mast (R-FL-18); Ron Estes (R-KS-4); August Pfluger (R-TX-11).
Speaker, not listed (1): Nancy Pelosi (D-CA-12).
Not in office (20): Connie Conway (R-CA-22); Mayra Flores (R-TX-34); Mike Flood (R-NE-1); Brad Finstad (R-MN-1); Mary Sattler Peltola (D-AK-AL); Patrick Ryan (D-NY-19); Joseph Sempolinski (R-NY-23); Rudy Yakym III (R-IN-2); Don Young (R-AK-AL); Alcee L. Hastings (D-FL-20); Devin Nunes (R-CA-22); Jeff Fortenberry (R-NE-1); Marcia L. Fudge (D-OH-11); Tom Reed (R-NY-23); Steve Stivers (R-OH-15); Cedric L. Richmond (D-LA-2); Filemon Vela (D-TX-34); Jim Hagedorn (R-MN-1); Debra A. Haaland (D-NM-1); Ron Wright (R-TX-6).
Summary
Main subject: Changes Board of Veterans' Appeals training and procedures, and Department of Veterans Affairs letters and medical examination protocols, for claims for compensation based on military sexual trauma. Sec. 1, Sec. 2
Its core areas: Board of Veterans' Appeals training on military sexual trauma claims; Board handling of notices of disagreement in military sexual trauma cases; Language of denial letters for military sexual trauma claims; Trauma-informed medical examination protocols.
Unexpected Items: 0 provisions
What it does
- Sec. 1: Requires the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to ensure each member of the Board of Veterans' Appeals is offered annual training on military sexual trauma and on proceedings concerning claims for compensation based on it.
- Sec. 1: Bars assigning a proceeding on such a claim to a Board member or panel unless each member has completed the annual training most recently offered to that member.
- Sec. 1: Requires the first annual training to be offered, and applies the assignment limit to proceedings assigned, on or after the date 180 days after enactment.
- Sec. 2: Requires the Board to promptly determine whether a notice of disagreement is a covered case, meaning a military sexual trauma compensation claim for which the appellant requested a hearing in the notice.
- Sec. 2: Requires the Secretary to audit the language of letters explaining denials of such claims and, within 180 days after enactment, modify the letters to use trauma-informed language and not re-traumatize veterans through insensitive language.
- Sec. 2: Requires the Secretary to establish protocols so that Department medical providers and contract medical providers use trauma-informed practices when conducting examinations regarding such claims.
Written automatically from the official text by Claude Sonnet 5.5, an AI model. Written 15 Oct 2026 and published after the automatic checks, without a person reading it first. Every line names the section it came from.