WASHINGTON D.C. – Today, Rep. Steve Stivers (R-OH) joined Rep. Tammy Duckwoth (D-IL) to introduce The Mental Health Exposure Military Official Record (MEMORy) Act to establish an online Significant Event Tracker (SET). The SET will document a veterans’ individual exposures to traumatic events, such as a significant injury in a combat operation, which are currently not documented in traditional ways. 

Currently, veterans seeking to file claims for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and mild Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) often times lack the documentation necessary in describing the service-connected incident that triggered conditions.  This often leads to the denial of claims and appeals of disability status – adding to the increased VA claims backlog and hindering the ability of a veteran to obtain the service-related care and support they have earned.

“Our service members risk their lives and safety to protect our country and its freedoms,” said Rep. Steve Stivers, a lead cosponsor of the MEMORy Act and an Iraq War veteran.  “As a country, we share a moral obligation to care for our veterans when they return home.  The MEMORy Act improves the reporting process and alleviates the burden of proof our veterans must undergo in order to secure the care and support they deserve for service-connected injuries, like PTSD and TBI.”

This legislation is a concrete first step to addressing a continuing problem that our veterans face when they return home.  Rep. Tammy Duckworth is the lead Democratic sponsor of the MEMORy Act and is also a veteran of the Iraq War.  Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and Senator Roy Blunt (R-MO) have introduced a companion bill in the Senate.

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