Regular Session 2023-2024 Senate Resolution 0046 P.N. 0903

PRIOR PRINTER'S NO. 371

PRINTER'S NO. 903

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA

SENATE RESOLUTION

No.

Session of

2023

INTRODUCED BY PENNYCUICK, FARRY, BOSCOLA, HUGHES, HUTCHINSON,

CAPPELLETTI, COLLETT, SCHWANK, BARTOLOTTA, ROBINSON, BAKER,

COSTA, MUTH, PHILLIPS-HILL, J. WARD, MASTRIANO, BROWN AND

COMITTA, FEBRUARY 24, 2023

SENATOR MASTRIANO, VETERANS AFFAIRS AND EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS,

AS AMENDED, JUNE 19, 2023

A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

Directing the Joint State Government Commission to establish the

Task Force on Women Veterans' Health Care.

WHEREAS, According to the United States Department of

Veterans Affairs, the projected veteran population nationwide is

18,500,000, with women making up an estimated 11% of that

population; and

WHEREAS, The United States Census Bureau estimates that the

percentage of female veterans between 2010 and 2040 will

increase from 9% in 2010 to MORE THAN 17% in 2040; and

WHEREAS, According to the United States Department of

Veterans Affairs, as of September 2022, this Commonwealth was

home to approximately 720,000 veterans, including 615,000

wartime veterans from World War II through the PERSIAN Gulf War;

and

WHEREAS, Females comprise approximately 60,000 of the wartime

veterans MORE THAN 63,000 OF THE WARTIME VETERANS IN THIS

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COMMONWEALTH; and

WHEREAS, The number of women veterans will increase with the

end of Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation Enduring Freedom and

the removal of the United States Armed Forces personnel from

Afghanistan; and

WHEREAS, Women veterans often face unique challenges in

transitioning from active duty to civilian life; and

WHEREAS, The challenging needs facing women veterans can

often be overlooked when providing services to a large veteran

population; and

WHEREAS, Ensuring the availability of specialized services

for physical health, such as obstetrics and gynecological care,

cancer screenings, family planning and infertility treatments,

as well as mental health, including, but not limited to,

treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain

injury, military sexual trauma and alcohol and substance abuse,

tailored to the specific needs of women veterans is essential to

ensure that our returning women veterans receive proper and

adequate care; and

WHEREAS, ENSURING THE AVAILABILITY OF SPECIALIZED SERVICES

FOR PHYSICAL HEALTH AS WELL AS MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES, TAILORED

TO THE SPECIFIC NEEDS OF WOMEN VETERANS, IS ESSENTIAL TO ENSURE

THAT RETURNING WOMEN VETERANS RECEIVE PROPER AND ADEQUATE CARE;

AND

WHEREAS, SPECIALIZED SERVICES FOR PHYSICAL HEALTH MAY

INCLUDE:

(1) OBSTETRICS AND GYNECOLOGICAL CARE;

(2) CANCER SCREENINGS;

(3) FAMILY PLANNING;

(4) INFERTILITY TREATMENTS;

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(5) PREGNANCY CARE;

(6) MISCARRIAGE COUNSELING AND CARE;

(7) REPRODUCTIVE CARE;

(8) AGING AND GERIATRIC CARE;

(9) PAIN MANAGEMENT; AND

(10) TREATMENT OF EATING DISORDERS, MENOPAUSE, URINARY

INCONTINENCE, HEART DISEASE, DIABETES AND MUSCULOSKELETAL

INJURIES;

AND

WHEREAS, MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES MAY INCLUDE TREATMENT OF

POSTTRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER, TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY, MILITARY

SEXUAL TRAUMA AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE; AND

WHEREAS, Establishing a task force to study the issues facing

women veterans and to make recommendations to the Governor and

the General Assembly will provide much-needed information and

insight from those who address the issues on a daily basis;

therefore be it

RESOLVED (the House of Representatives concurring), That the

General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, THAT THE

SENATE OF THE COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA direct the Joint

State Government Commission to establish the Task Force on Women

Veterans' Health Care; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Task Force on Women Veterans' Health Care

consist of the chair of the State Veterans' Commission and

representatives from OR A DESIGNATED REPRESENTATIVE AND:

(1) the A health care provider community in this

Commonwealth that has experience in providing health care to

returning women veterans;

(2) A HEALTH CARE PROVIDER IN THIS COMMONWEALTH THAT HAS

EXPERIENCE SERVING AS A MEDICAL OFFICER AND IS A VETERAN OF

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THE ARMED SERVICES ADVOCATING FOR ACCESS TO WOMEN'S HEALTH

CARE IN THE LIFE SCIENCES INDUSTRY;

(2) the (3) A mental health care provider community of

IN this Commonwealth that has experience in providing mental

health care treatment to returning women veterans;

(3) the (4) A substance abuse and addiction treatment

provider community of IN this Commonwealth that has

experience in providing substance abuse and addiction

treatment to returning women veterans;

(4) a (5) AN INDIVIDUAL FROM A Commonwealth advocacy

group that represents the interests of sexual assault victims

with experience in providing services to women veterans who

have suffered military sexual trauma, including harassment or

abuse; and

(5) a (6) A JUDGE THAT SERVES ON A county veteran's

court; AND

(7) AN INDIVIDUAL FROM TRANSITIONING PROGRAMS, INCLUDING

EMPLOYMENT, HOUSING, CHILD CARE, FINANCIAL PLANNING AND PEER-

TO-PEER SUPPORT, FOR RETURNING WOMEN VETERANS;

and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Task Force on Women Veterans' Health Care

study the health care needs of women veterans, including, but

not limited to:

(1) quality of and access to mental health services,

including services and treatment for post-traumatic stress

disorder, traumatic brain injury and military sexual trauma;

(2) in-patient treatment availability;

(3) adequacy and availability of appropriate women

veterans' health care within the Federal Veterans Affairs

health care system and this Commonwealth, as well as the

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interaction and recognition of the needs of women veterans by

private health care providers; and

(4) adequacy, quality of and access to services

providing for the identification and treatment of military

sexual trauma, including sexual harassment or abuse;

and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Task Force on Women Veterans' Health Care

identify other needs relating to the provision of women

veterans' health care services; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Task Force on Women Veterans' Health Care,

with the assistance of the Joint State Government Commission,

consult with Federal, State and local entities, including, but

not limited to:

(1) The Pennsylvania Congressional Delegation.

(2) The United States Department of Veterans Affairs.

(3) The County Commissioners Association of

Pennsylvania.

(4) The Pennsylvania Municipal League.

(5) The Pennsylvania Medical Society.

(6) The Hospital and Healthsystem Association of

Pennsylvania.

(7) Veterans organizations or other organizations or

associations that advocate for women veterans.

(8) Any individual the task force identifies as having

relevant, salient and timely experience within the Veterans

Affairs health care system for women in Pennsylvania;

and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Joint State Government Commission:

(1) Accept and review written comments from individuals

and organizations.

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(2) Report findings and recommendations within 18 months

from the adoption of this resolution, to the Governor, the

Senate and the House of Representatives.

(3) Include in the report under paragraph (2)

recommendations to:

(i) improve the delivery of health care services,

including preventative, maintenance and acute care, as

well as mental health services to women veterans; and

(ii) recommend necessary changes in State statutes

and practices, policies and procedures relating to the

delivery of health care and mental health services to

women veterans;

and be it further

RESOLVED, That a copy of the report required under this

resolution be transmitted to the President of the United States,

the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, the presiding officers of

each house of Congress and to each member of Congress from

Pennsylvania.

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