Senator Clinton is introducing new legislation to improve medical coverage for wounded soldiers when they return from active duty, a move that could help bolster her pro-military résumé as she campaigns for the Democratic presidential nomination.

The bill, which she has dubbed “Bridging the Gap for Wounded Warriors Act,” comes three months after the initial public outcry over the poor conditions at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, where many military amputees receive treatment.

The legislation takes aim at the difference between the health care the Department of Defense provides for active duty officers and what the Department of Veterans Affairs offers for officers who retire because of injuries.

“The Department of Defense has failed to meet the medical needs of this generation’s wounded warriors as they transition from the Armed Services to civilian life,” Mrs. Clinton said in a statement.

The bill would create a two-year transition period for injured members of the military to continue their health care benefits when they return to civilian life. The senator is calling on the Defense Department to cover the new costs.

Mrs. Clinton has staked out a more hawkish position on military issues that that of most of her Democratic counterparts.

While the senator now is pushing to reverse the authorization for the Iraq war, which she voted for in 2002, she does not support a full troop withdrawal, though some of her Democratic opponents do. She also has indicated that she would be more willing than her rivals to use military force in the event of another terrorist attack. Those positions seem designed to help her if she wins the Democratic nomination and competes in the general election.

A spokesman for the Department of Defense did not respond to requests for comment yesterday.