The legislation aims to advance orthotic and prosthetic clinical care for members of the Armed Forces, veterans, and civilians who have suffered amputations, traumatic brain injuries, or other serious physical injuries due to combat or military experiences.
The Secretary of Defense, in coordination with the Secretary of Veteran Affairs, is required to award grants for research on preventing limb amputations, determining the most effective timing for orthotic and prosthetic intervention, and identifying the most effective orthotic interventions for treating traumatic brain injury, among other objectives.
Research funded by these grants will also focus on which patients benefit most from specific orthotic and prosthetic technologies, the services that best facilitate return to active duty, and the effects of aging on prosthetic use.
Additional grants will support research on improving existing materials and developing new materials for orthotics and prosthetics to enhance quality of life and health outcomes for individuals with limb loss.
Grants will also be awarded for research on improving existing orthotic and prosthetic technology and devices, as well as developing new technologies and devices for the same purpose.
Grant proposals must be peer-reviewed and awarded through competitive procedures.
Grant recipients are required to use the funds to carry out the research described in their proposals.
The Secretary of Defense is required to submit an annual report to Congress, in consultation with the Secretary of Veterans Affairs and other stakeholders, outlining an agenda for orthotic and prosthetic research and summarizing the progress made towards addressing orthotic and prosthetic challenges.
The term “veteran” is defined according to section 101 of title 38, United States Code.
$30,000,000 is authorized to be appropriated for fiscal year 2025 to the Department of Defense for the Defense Health Program to carry out the provisions of this legislation.