Sponsors (2)
The bill expands peer mentorship, family support, education, and coordinated nonclinical services for military families with limb loss—likely improving outcomes and access—but requires new DoD spending and risks incomplete coverage or weakened impact if implementation, contracting, or oversight are inadequate.
Military families, dependents, and eligible beneficiaries with limb loss will receive peer mentorship, family support services, and nonclinical care coordination, improving rehabilitation outcomes, social support, and families' ability to navigate care and benefits.
Covered beneficiaries will get education and resource navigation services (nonclinical), making it easier for families to access community supports, benefits, and pediatric/veteran-specific services.
The Department of Defense can use cooperative agreements and contracts with experienced external organizations (including pediatric and veteran specialists) to stand up services more quickly and flexibly than relying solely on internal resources.
Establishing and operating the program will increase DoD costs, potentially raising budget pressures or crowding out other priorities if additional funding is not provided.
Program benefits depend on successful contracting, partner selection, and adequate staffing; poor implementation could limit service quality and reach despite the program's creation.
Annual reporting and oversight requirements create additional administrative burdens for DoD components, potentially diverting staff time from direct service delivery if not properly resourced.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Requires the Department of Defense to establish, beginning FY2028, a program providing peer mentorship, education, community reintegration, and resource coordination for dependents with limb loss or limb difference, with required planning and annual reporting.
Creates a Department of Defense program, starting in fiscal year 2028, to provide nonclinical rehabilitative support for dependents with limb loss or limb difference who are eligible for care under title 10. The program will fund peer mentorship, education, community reintegration, resource coordination, outreach, and other activities determined by the Secretary of Defense, and may partner with experienced organizations via cooperative agreements or contracts. Requires the Secretary to submit an implementation plan to the armed services committees within 180 days of enactment and to produce annual reports (beginning one year after implementation and continuing for three years) with service counts, demographics, services provided, gap assessments, and recommendations. The implementation plan must describe partner selection, costs and staffing, existing resource assessments, performance metrics, and integration with Military Health System research.
Official title: To direct the Secretary of Defense to carry out the Military Family Limb Loss and Limb Difference Support Program.
Introduced June 23, 2026 by Grace Meng · Last progress June 23, 2026