119-hr2717

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2717 Introduced in House

    (IH) ]

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119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 H. R. 2717

 To direct the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Veterans 
Affairs to take certain steps regarding research related to menopause, 
 perimenopause, or mid-life women's health, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

 April 8, 2025

Ms. Houlahan (for herself and Mrs. Bice) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on Armed Services, and in addition 
to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, for a period to be subsequently 
 determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such 
 provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

 A BILL

 To direct the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Veterans 
Affairs to take certain steps regarding research related to menopause, 
 perimenopause, or mid-life women's health, 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 ``Servicewomen and Veterans Menopause 
Research Act''.

SEC. 2. EVALUATION OF CERTAIN RESEARCH RELATED TO MENOPAUSE, 
 PERIMENOPAUSE, OR MID-LIFE WOMEN'S HEALTH.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary of Defense, in coordination with 
Secretary of Veterans Affairs, shall evaluate--

    (1) the results of completed research related to menopause, 
 perimenopause, or mid-life women's health among women who are 
 members of the Armed Forces or veterans;

    (2) the status of such research that is ongoing;

    (3) any gaps in knowledge and research on--
        (A) treatments, including hormone and non-hormone 
 treatments, for menopause-related symptoms;
        (B) the safety and effectiveness of treatments for 
 menopause-related symptoms;
            (C) the relation of service in the Armed Forces to 
 perimenopause and menopause and the impact of such 
 service on perimenopause and menopause;
            (D) the effect of combat roles on symptoms relating 
 to perimenopause and menopause, including exposure to 
 burn pits, toxic chemicals, and PFAS; and
        (E) the impact of perimenopause and menopause on 
 the mental health of women who are members of the Armed 
 Forces or veterans;

    (4) the availability of and uptake of professional training 
 resources for covered providers relating to mid-life women's 
 health with respect to the care, treatment, and management of 
 perimenopause and menopausal symptoms, and related support 
 services; and

    (5) the availability of and uptake of treatments for women 
 who are members of the Armed Forces or veterans who are 
 experiencing perimenopause or menopause.

    (b) Report; Strategic Plan.--Not later than 180 days after the date 
of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense and the 
Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall each submit to Congress a report 
containing--

    (1) the findings of the evaluation conducted under 
 subsection

    (a) ;

    (2) recommendations for improving professional training 
 resources described in subsection

    (a)

    (4) for covered providers; 
 and

    (3) a strategic plan that--
        (A) resolves the gaps in knowledge and research 
 identified in the report; and
        (B) identifies topics in need of further research 
 relating to potential treatments for menopause-related 
 symptoms of women who are members of the Armed Forces 
 or veterans.
            (c) Nonduplication and Supplementation of Efforts.--In carrying out 
activities under this section, the Secretary of Defense and the 
Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall ensure that such activities 
supplement, and minimize the duplication of, existing efforts of the 
Secretary of Health and Human Services to share information regarding 
matters described in subsection

    (a) .
            (d) === Definitions. ===
-In this section:

    (1) The term ``covered provider'' means a health care 
 provider who is an employee of the Department of Defense or the 
 Department of Veterans Affairs.

    (2) The term ``menopause''--
        (A) means the stage of a woman's life when 
 menstruation stops permanently and she can no longer 
 get pregnant; and
        (B) is not a disease state, but a normal part of 
 aging for women.

    (3) The term ``mid-life'' means a life stage for a woman 
 that--
        (A) coincides with perimenopause, which may be 
 physical or emotional;
        (B) encompasses the late reproductive age, which 
 can begin at approximately 35 years of age, to late 
 postmenopausal stages, which can extend to 
 approximately 65 years of age, of reproductive aging; 
 and
            (C) often marks the onset of many chronic diseases.

    (4) The term ``perimenopause''--
        (A) mean the time when levels of the hormone 
 estrogen fall unevenly in a woman's body; and
        (B) is also called the menopausal transition.

    (5) The term ``PFAS'' means perfluoroalkyl and 
 polyfluoroalkyl substances.

    (6) The term ``postmenopausal'' means a period--
        (A) that begins after a woman has not menstruated 
 for 12 months and lasts thereafter for the rest of the 
 woman's life; and
        (B) during which a woman is at increased risk for 
 osteoporosis and heart disease.

SEC. 3. SENSE OF CONGRESS ON ADDITIONAL RESEARCH RELATED TO MENOPAUSE, 
 PERIMENOPAUSE, OR MID-LIFE WOMEN'S HEALTH.

 It is the sense of Congress that the Secretary of Defense and the 
Secretary of Veterans Affairs should each conduct research related to 
menopause, perimenopause, or mid-life health regarding women who are 
members of the Armed Forces or veterans.
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