Moral Injury Recognition and Restitution Act

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 7976 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 7976

 To amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for the retroactive
payment of benefits for veterans with covered mental health conditions
        based on military sexual trauma, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 18, 2026

Mr. Carbajal (for himself and Mr. Bacon) introduced the following bill;
        which was referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

 To amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for the retroactive
payment of benefits for veterans with covered mental health conditions
        based on military sexual trauma, 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 ``Moral Injury Recognition and
Restitution Act''.

SEC. 2. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS RETROACTIVE BENEFITS PAYMENTS
              FOR VETERANS WITH COVERED HEALTH CONDITIONS BASED ON
              MILITARY SEXUAL TRAUMA.

    (a) In General.--Subchapter II of chapter 51 of title 38, United
States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new section:
``Sec. 5114. Claims involving military sexual trauma: retroactive
              benefits payments
    ``(a) In General.--If the Secretary approves a claim for
compensation for a covered health condition based on military sexual
trauma experienced by a veteran during active military, naval, or air
service, notwithstanding sections 5110 and 5111 of this title--
            ``(1) the effective date of the award of the claim shall be
        the date of the day after the date on which the veteran is
        discharged from such service; and
            ``(2) payment of monetary benefits based on such award
        shall be made beginning on such date and shall be payable
        retroactively.
    ``(b) Definitions.--In this section:
            ``(1) The term `military sexual trauma' has the meaning
        given such term in section 1166(c)(2) of this title.
            ``(2) The term `covered health condition' means--
                    ``(A) a covered mental health condition, as such
                term is defined in section 1166(c)(1) of this title; or
                    ``(B) any physical injury or disease resulting in
                disability that was incurred as a result of, or
                aggravated by, military sexual trauma.''.
    (b) Clerical Amendments.--The table of sections at the beginning of
chapter 51 of such title is amended by inserting after the item
relating to section 5113 the following new item:

``5114. Claims involving military sexual trauma: retroactive benefits
                            payments.''.
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