Improving Menopause Care for Veterans Act of 2024

[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 8347 Introduced in House (IH)]

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118th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 8347

  To direct the Comptroller General of the United States to conduct a 
    study on menopause care furnished by the Department of Veterans 
                    Affairs, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 10, 2024

 Ms. Brownley introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                     Committee on Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To direct the Comptroller General of the United States to conduct a 
    study on menopause care furnished by the Department of Veterans 
                    Affairs, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Improving Menopause Care for 
Veterans Act of 2024''.

SEC. 2. COMPTROLLER GENERAL STUDY AND REPORT ON MENOPAUSE CARE 
              FURNISHED BY DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS.

    (a) Study.--The Comptroller General of the United States shall 
carry out a study on the medical services furnished by the Secretary of 
Veterans Affairs under sections 1703 and 1710 of title 38, United 
States Code, for veterans experiencing perimenopause, genitourinary 
syndrome of menopause, and menopause stages.
    (b) Report.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than 18 months after the date of 
        the enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General shall make 
        publicly available a report on the study carried out under 
        subsection (a).
            (2) Elements.--The report required under paragraph (1) 
        shall include each of the following:
                    (A) A description of the menopause care furnished 
                by the Department of Veterans Affairs, as of the date 
                of the enactment of this Act.
                    (B) A review of the established guidelines and 
                protocols of the Department of for--
                            (i) the training of medical providers of 
                        the Department;
                            (ii) the diagnosis and treatment of 
                        perimenopause, genitourinary syndrome of 
                        menopause, and menopause in women veterans; and
                            (iii) the referral of veterans seeking 
                        menopause care to non-Department medical 
                        providers.
                    (C) An evaluation of the adequacy of the access of 
                veterans to interdisciplinary care to treat the effects 
                of perimenopause, genitourinary syndrome of menopause, 
                and menopause.
                    (D) A review of the educational initiatives and 
                outreach of the Department to ensure that veterans are 
                aware of the perimenopause, genitourinary syndrome of 
                menopause, and menopause care available under sections 
                1703 and 1710 of title 38, United States Code, 
                including treatment options and potential benefits and 
                risks.
                    (E) An evaluation of the quality of menopause care 
                provided under sections 1703 and 1710 of title 38, 
                United States Code, including--
                            (i) a review of feedback about menopause 
                        care collected from veterans;
                            (ii) an examination of the efficacy of the 
                        menopause care furnished by the Department; and
                            (iii) an evaluation of the extent to which 
                        the Department has established mechanisms for 
                        veterans to address and resolve any concerns or 
                        issues regarding menopause care.
                    (F) A review of how, if at all, the Secretary is 
                leveraging research, conducted within the Department or 
                by other entities, to improve menopause care for 
                veterans, including through the development of new 
                treatments or protocols.
                    (G) Recommendations for the improvement of the 
                menopause care furnished by the Department.
    (c) Plan To Implement Recommendations.--Not later than 6 months 
after the date on which the Comptroller General makes the report 
required under subsection (b) publicly available, the Secretary shall 
submit to the Committees on Veterans' Affairs of the Senate and House 
of Representatives a strategic plan to--
            (1) implement the recommendations contained in the report;
            (2) improve the quality of menopause care furnished under 
        sections 1703 and 1710 of title 38, United States Code; and
            (3) improve the access of veterans to menopause care.
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