Senate panel takes up bill on infertile veterans

WASHINGTON (AP) — A Senate committee is taking up legislation that expands access to fertility services for disabled military veterans.

The Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs is scheduled to consider the legislation Wednesday morning.

The bill, sponsored by Sen. Patty Murray, would authorize the Department of Veterans Affairs to cover the cost of in vitro fertilization treatment for veterans and their spouses who need it.

Pentagon figures released by the senator’s office show that more than 1,830 veterans of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq have suffered pelvic fractures and genital injuries since 2003 that could affect their ability to reproduce.