The United States Senate introduced the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Spinal Trauma Access to New Devices (STAND) Act, a companion bill to HR 6373. The legislation seeks to codify the VA’s obligation to perform annual examinations on veterans with spinal cord injury and disorders and to assess them for assistive technologies, including powered exoskeletons, increasing the numbers of veterans who will have access to the devices and technologies.
The bill also requires the VA to report to Congress on the VA’s performance regarding the exams and device placements and holds local and regional VA medical centers accountable for performance against the same metrics.
The bill was introduced by Sen. Jon Tester (D-MT), chairman of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, and Sen. Jerry Moran (R-KS), the ranking committee member.
“We are extremely thankful to all those in the House of Representatives and now the Senate that have either led or co-sponsored this important legislation for paralyzed veterans,” said Larry Jasinski, CEO of Lifeward, formerly, ReWalk Robotics. “This bicameral, bipartisan approach is a signal to all that Congress is willing to engage on an issue that has an important, life-changing impact on improving visibility and access to technologies like the ReWalk personal exoskeleton for veterans who are clinically eligible and motivated to stand and walk in their daily lives.”
