THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES OF SCIENCES, ENGINEERING, AND MEDICINE
Center for Health, People, and Places
Health Care and Public Health Program Area
Committee on the Assessment of Department of Veterans Affairs for Physical and Mental Health Examinations and The Department’s Schedule of Rating Disabilities for Disability Compensation Claims Related to Military Sexual Trauma
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Congressional Briefing
Tuesday, June 2, 2026 – 3:00 p.m.
via Zoom
on
Improving Disability Evaluations for Veterans Who Have Experienced
Military Sexual Trauma
Requested by Congress in P.L. 117-289, To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to seek to enter into an agreement with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine for a review of examinations, furnished by the Secretary, to individuals who submit claims to the Secretary for compensation, this report assesses the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)'s tools and protocols for disability examinations related to military sexual trauma, along with the training and credentials of the clinicians who perform them.
The report reviews the compensation and pension examination process for related claims, identifies shortcomings in examiner training, quality assurance mechanisms, examination settings, and rating tools, and offers recommendations to improve accuracy, consistency, fairness, and veterans' experiences throughout the process.
The report highlights can be found here.
This briefing was for members of Congress and congressional staff only. The report was publicly released on June 3, 2026 and can be found, in its entirety, on the Web site of the National Academies Press.