Congresswoman Dina Titus of Nevada’s First District released the following statement on the passage of H.R. 671, the Ruth Moore Act of 2013, by voice vote. The bill is designed to push the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to update its regulations in order to better serve victims of military sexual trauma (MST), and includes an amendment by Titus that would make it easier for veteran survivors of military sexual assault to qualify for benefits.

“I want to thank Congresswoman Chellie Pingree for her work on this important issue. For far too long the issue of sexual violence in the military has been widely unaddressed, leaving victims to suffer the consequences in silence. As Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Disability Assistance, I will continue to work with the VA to ensure that survivors of military sexual assault have easy access to the services and benefits they need.”