Guthrie's Urotrauma Bill Included in NDAA Reauthorization

Press Release

Today, the House passed the 2014 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which included a provision from legislation introduced by Congressman Brett Guthrie.

Congressman Guthrie introduced H.R. 984, legislation "to direct the Secretary of Defense to establish a task force on urotrauma" in March 2013. The House Veterans Affairs Committee held a hearing on H.R. 984 in May and the bill was the basis for language included in the House NDAA bill in June 2013.

Urotrauma includes injuries to the kidneys, reproductive organs, and urinary organs. These injuries are now among the most common and debilitating kinds suffered by our troops as a result of IED blasts.

"Urotrauma has quickly become a signature wound of IEDs and currently accounts for one-eighth of all injuries suffered by our troops in Afghanistan," said Congressman Guthrie when he first introduced his legislation.

This provision of the NDAA reauthorization will require the Department of Defense (DoD) to work with the Departments of Veterans Affairs (VA) to develop and implement a comprehensive policy on improvements to the care, management, and transition of recovering members of the Armed Forces with urotrauma.

At a minimum, the required improvements to care will include establishing eligibility for the Recovery Care Coordinator Program, returning soldiers to active duty when appropriate, and streamlining the transition process from DoD to VA care for service members who suffer urotrauma injuries. DoD and VA will file a report to update Congress on their progress within one year of implementation.

An original cosponsor of the urotrauma amendment in the U.S. Senate, Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell worked to ensure Congressman Guthrie's language was included in the bill. "I applaud Congressman Guthrie for leading on this issue and his work to improve care for our service members and veterans that have experienced urotrauma," said Senator McConnell.

"I'm grateful for the support of Senator McConnell in moving this legislation toward passage. We owe so much to our service members and I will continue working to ensure they have the best resources for combating these debilitating injuries," added Congressman Guthrie.

Source