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
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.
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.