SPOKANE, Wash.- A bill named after Hannah Cvancara, a Spokane woman who was not allowed to serve as a U.S. Navy nurse due to her status as an amputee, has been introduced to the national congress.
Cvancara, who earned a nursing degree in 2019, wanted to become a Navy Nurse Corps member, but was not allowed to do so because individuals who sustained amputations prior to military service are not currently allowed to become military medical personnel.
The Hannah Cvancara Service Act would ban all branches of the military from listing an amputation prior to service as medically disqualifying.
The language of the policy, which was introduced by Representative Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R) and is currently before the House Committee on Armed Services, relates to Cvancara’s predicament specifically.
It states that the Secretary of Defense may not bar someone from service who received an amputation prior to applying “if the individual otherwise meets such physical fitness and other standards as may be required for such accession.”
Cvancara, whose father was a member of the Air Force, hopes that the bill paves the way for her entrance into the Navy.
“Military service is a duty and an honor I’ve held dear since I was a little girl. Born and raised as a military dependent, I knew I wanted to serve myself and was capable of achieving that dream as an amputee,” Cvancara said.
The 2023 congress passed a scant 27 bills last year and was historically unproductive due to a fight for the House Speakership within the Republican Conference. Whether the Hannah Cvancara Service Act becomes law will partially depend upon whether the national congress is more efficient this year.
