119-hr2970

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2970 Introduced in House

    (IH) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 H. R. 2970

To amend title 38, United States Code, to make certain improvements to 
the laws relating to advocacy for veterans who receive health care and 
other benefits furnished by the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for 
 other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

 April 17, 2025

 Mr. Yakym introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
 Committee on Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

 A BILL

To amend title 38, United States Code, to make certain improvements to 
the laws relating to advocacy for veterans who receive health care and 
other benefits furnished by the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for 
 other purposes.

 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

 This Act may be cited as the ``National Veterans Advocate Act of 
2025''.

SEC. 2. INDEPENDENT OFFICE OF THE NATIONAL VETERANS' ADVOCATE IN 
 DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS.

    (a) In General.--

Section 7309A of title 38, United States Code, is 
amended--

    (1) by striking the section heading and inserting the 
 following new section heading:
``

Sec. 7309A. Office of the National Veterans' Advocate'';

    (2) in subsection

    (a) --
        (A) by striking ``within the Office of the Under 
 Secretary for Health'';
        (B) by striking ``an office'' and inserting ``an 
 independent office''; and
            (C) by striking ```Office of Patient Advocacy''' 
 and inserting ```Office of the National Veterans' 
 Advocate''';

    (3) by striking ``patient advocate'' each place it appears 
 and inserting ``veteran advocate'';

    (4) in subsection

    (b) --
        (A) by striking paragraph

    (1) and inserting the 
 following new paragraph

    (1) :
 ``

    (1) The Office of the National Veterans' Advocate shall be under 
the supervision and direction of an official to be known as the 
``National Veterans' Advocate''. The National Veterans' Advocate shall 
report directly to the Secretary and shall be entitled to compensation 
at the same rate as the highest rate of basic pay established for the 
Senior Executive Service under 

section 5382 of title 5, United States 
Code.''; and
        (B) in paragraph

    (2) --
            (i) by striking ``Office of Patient 
 Advocacy'' and inserting ``Office of the 
 National Veterans' Advocate'';
            (ii) by striking ``by the Under Secretary 
 for Health'' and inserting ``by the 
 Secretary''; and
            (iii) by striking ``shall report directly 
 to the Under Secretary for Health'' and 
 inserting ``shall be independent of the 
 Secretary'';

    (5) by striking ``Director'' each place it appears and 
 inserting ``National Veterans' Advocate'';

    (6) in subsection
            (c) --
        (A) by striking the subsection heading and 
 inserting ``
            (c) Functions.--'';
        (B) in paragraph

    (1) --
            (i) by striking ``function'' and inserting 
 ``functions'';
            (ii) by striking ``is'' and inserting 
 ``are''; and
            (iii) by inserting before the period at the 
 end the following: ``and to monitor Department 
 processes and make recommendations to Congress 
 on how to improve the Department's efficiency 
 and care for veterans'';
            (C) in paragraph

    (2) --
            (i) in subparagraph
        (B) , by striking 
 ``and'' after the semicolon;
            (ii) in subparagraph
            (C) , by striking the 
 period and inserting a semicolon; and
            (iii) by adding at the end the following 
 new subparagraphs:
 ``
            (D) identify areas in which veterans have problems in 
 dealings with the Department;
 ``
        (E) to the extent possible, propose changes in the 
 administrative practices of the Department to mitigate problems 
 identified under subparagraph
            (D) ; and
 ``
        (F) identify potential legislative changes which may be 
 appropriate to mitigate such problems.'';
            (D) in paragraph

    (3) --
            (i) in subparagraph
        (A) , by striking 
 ``and'' after the semicolon;
            (ii) by redesignating subparagraph
        (B) as 
 subparagraph
            (C) ;
            (iii) by inserting after subparagraph
        (A) the following new subparagraph
        (B) :
 ``
        (B) fill out forms to relating to casework problem that 
 facilitate the rapid assignment of a local veteran advocate 
 caseworker who can directly interface with the veteran if 
 needed; and''; and
            (iv) in subparagraph
            (C) , as redesignated 
 by clause
            (ii) , by inserting ``or forms'' after 
 ``complaint'' both times it appears;
        (E) by adding at the end the following new 
 paragraphs:
 ``

    (4) The Office shall have the authority to manage casework issues 
across the Department.
 ``

    (5)
        (A) Not later than March 30 and September 30 of each year, the 
National Veterans' Advocate shall submit to the Committees on Veterans' 
Affairs of the Senate and House of Representatives a report on the 
operations of the Office of the National Veterans' Advocate. Each such 
report shall include--
 ``
            (i) a description of the activities of the Office carried 
 out pursuant so subsection
            (c) (2)
            (D) through
        (F) ; and
 ``
            (ii) independent legislative recommendations for the 
 improvement of health outcomes for veterans, the quality of 
 health care and benefits provided by the Department, and the 
 cost efficiency of the Department.
 ``
        (B) Recommendations included in a report under this paragraph may 
not be reviewed by the Secretary or by any other official of the 
Department prior to submission.
 ``
            (C) Each report under this paragraph shall be transmitted to the 
Secretary and made publicly available on the website the National 
Veterans' Advocate.
 ``

    (6) The Office shall have a designated publicly accessible 
website that includes access to the information technology system 
required under paragraph

    (3) .'';

    (7) in subsection
            (d) --
        (A) in the subsection heading, by striking 
 ``Patient Advocacy'' and inserting ``Veteran 
 Advocacy''; and
        (B) by adding at the end the following new 
 paragraph:
 ``

    (15) In coordination with the recommendation team, to 
 identify problems experienced within the Department in the 
 course of providing hospital care, medical services, and 
 nursing home care and burial and interment benefits to veterans 
 and to develop recommendations to address such problems.'';

    (8) in subsection

    (e) --
        (A) by striking ``shall ensure that such training 
 is consistent throughout the Department.'' and 
 inserting ``shall--'';
        (B) by adding at the end the following new 
 subparagraphs:
 ``
        (A) develop the curriculum for such training in 
 coordination with the Under Secretary for Benefits, the 
 Under Secretary for Health, the Director of each of the 
 Veterans Integrated Service Networks, and veterans 
 service organizations;
 ``
        (B) ensure that each veteran advocate is required 
 to receive such training on an annual basis;
 ``
            (C) ensure that such training includes up-to-date 
 information on Department policy, crisis management, 
 health care, and such other matters as the Secretary 
 determines appropriate; and
 ``
            (D) ensure that such training is consistent 
 throughout the Department.'';

    (9) by redesignating subsection

    (f) as subsection
            (l) ; and

    (10) by inserting after subsection

    (e) the following new 
 subsections:
 ``

    (f) Deputy National Veterans' Advocates.--

    (1) There is in each 
Veterans Integrated Service Network (hereinafter referred to as a 
`VISN') a Deputy National Veterans' Advocate who shall have 
responsibility for managing the employees of the Office with primary 
responsibility for casework.
 ``

    (2) The Deputy National Veterans' Advocate for a VISN shall 
ensure that for the geographic area served by that VISN, the Department 
employs at least one veteran advocate for every 12,000 veterans who 
reside in such area and are enrolled in the patient enrollment system 
under 

section 1705 of this title.
 ``

    (g) Office Employees.--The Office of the National Veterans' 
Advocate shall have employees in the Washington, D.C., office in the 
Department. Such employees shall carry out the responsibilities under 
subsection
            (c) (2)
            (D) through
        (F) , coordinate with Deputy National 
Veterans' Advocates and veteran advocates, and carry out such other 
responsibilities as the National Veterans' Advocate determines 
appropriate.
 ``

    (h) Casework Request Portal.--The National Veterans' Advocate 
shall establish, on the website of the National Veterans' Advocate, a 
casework request portal that veterans can use to request assistance 
with casework.
 ``
            (i) Outreach.--The Secretary shall conduct outreach to veterans 
receiving benefits under the laws administrated by the Secretary to 
provide information to such veterans about the Office and the 
assistance available to veterans through the Office.
 ``

    (j) Coordination To Improve Policies.--The Secretary, the 
National Veterans' Advocate, the Under Secretary for Health, and the 
Under Secretary for Benefits shall--
 ``

    (1) work closely together on a continual basis to improve 
 the policies of the Department without the necessity for 
 congressional action; and
 ``

    (2) communicate frequently to ensure such improvement.
 ``

    (k) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this section $25,000,000 for each of fiscal 
years 2026 through 2030.''.

    (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections at the beginning of 
chapter 73 of such title is amended by striking the item relating to 

section 7309A and inserting the following new item:

``7309A. Office of the National Veterans' Advocate.''.
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