Washington, DC – Today, U.S. Representative Young Kim (CA-40) spoke in support of the Improving VA Training for Military Sexual Trauma (MST) Claims Act (H.R. 2201), at a House Veterans Affairs Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs legislative hearing.
Rep. Kim introduced this bipartisan bill with Nikki Budzinski (IL-13), Don Bacon (NE-02), and Chrissy Houlahan (PA-06).
Watch her speech HERE or read her remarks below.
Thank you, Chairman Luttrell and Ranking Member McGarvey, for holding this legislative hearing.
I am excited to see H.R. 2201, the “Improving VA Training for Military Sexual Trauma Claims Act” discussed in today’s hearing.
Approximately 1 in 3 women and 1 in 50 men experience military sexual trauma, or MST, as a servicemember and according to VA officials, the department received 57,400 MST claims in fiscal 2024, up 18% from the previous year. The VA approved more than 63% of them, up from roughly 40% more than a decade ago.
Currently, the VA must help veterans filing disability benefits claims for MST gather evidence for their claims. Unfortunately, VA claims processors and examiners often do not have sufficient training to recognize indirect markers of MST or to avoid forcing victims to relive their trauma.
In fact, disability compensation examiners are only required to complete an outdated online sensitivity training once every five years. Filing these claims is burdensome enough. The examination process shouldn’t cause more pain.
The bipartisan Improving VA Training for Military Sexual Trauma Act would require all VA employees involved with MST claims to complete annual training to identify evidence of MST claims and annual sensitivity training to avoid retraumatizing victims.
Additionally, to ensure victims’ cases are processed in a timely manner, the VA would be required to automatically obtain all service personnel medical records for a servicemember filing an MST disability claim.
The VA Secretary would also submit both an annual report to Congress on the progress of the MST sensitivity training program and a detailed plan to improve it.
H.R. 2201 is a commonsense, bipartisan measure that ensures VA staff are prepared to provide veterans with the support and protection they deserve.
Streamlining the MST claim process and improving VA training is a win for our veterans.
I thank the Committee for considering H.R. 2201 and Representatives Budzinski, Houlahan, and Bacon for co-leading this bill with me.
Thank you, and I yield back.
