IB 
Union Calendar No. 492 
110TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 2192 
[Report No. 110–773] 
To amend title 38, United States Code, to establish an Ombudsman within 
the Department of Veterans Affairs. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MAY 7, 2007 
Mr. HODES introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 
on Veterans’ Affairs 
JULY 24, 2008 
Additional sponsors: Ms. MOORE of Wisconsin, Mr. CROWLEY, Mr. JONES of 
North Carolina, Mr. MATHESON, Ms. KAPTUR, Ms. DEGETTE, Ms. 
SCHAKOWSKY, Mr. SHULER, Mr. DOYLE, Mr. HASTINGS of Florida, Mr. 
ABERCROMBIE, Mr. BUTTERFIELD, Mr. LARSON of Connecticut, Mr. 
BOSWELL, Mr. ANDREWS, Mr. COHEN, Mr. YARMUTH, Mr. ALLEN, Mr. 
MARSHALL, Mr. GONZALEZ, Mr. CONAWAY, Mr. SCOTT of Virginia, Mr. 
LYNCH, Mr. MOORE of Kansas, Mrs. MCCARTHY of New York, Mrs. 
GILLIBRAND, Mr. GILCHREST, Mr. MCDERMOTT, Mr. WAXMAN, Mr. 
BRALEY of Iowa, Mr. MURPHY of Connecticut, Mr. CUMMINGS, Mr. FIL-
NER, Mr. ELLISON, Mr. BISHOP of New York, Ms. WOOLSEY, Ms. 
HIRONO, Mr. MCINTYRE, Mr. CUELLAR, Mr. HINOJOSA, Mr. CARSON, 
Mr. MICHAUD, Mr. TIM MURPHY of Pennsylvania, and Mr. BUYER 
JULY 24, 2008 
Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole 
House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed 
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[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic] 
A BILL 
To amend title 38, United States Code, to establish an 
Ombudsman within the Department of Veterans Affairs. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. ESTABLISHMENT OF OFFICE OF THE OMBUDS-
MAN
IN
DEPARTMENT
OF
VETERANS
AF-
FAIRS. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—Chapter 3 of title 38, United 
States Code, is amended by adding at the end the fol-
lowing new section: 
‘‘§ 321. Office of the Ombudsman 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—There is established in the De-
partment an Office of the Ombudsman (in this section re-
ferred to as the Office). The Secretary shall designate an 
Ombudsman to carry out the duties of the Office. 
‘‘(b) DUTIES.—The Office shall act as a liaison for 
veterans and their family members with respect to the re-
ceipt of health care and benefits administered by the De-
partment. 
‘‘(c) AVAILABILITY
OF SERVICES.—The Secretary 
shall ensure that the services of the Office are available 
to all veterans and their family members. 
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‘‘(d) CONFIDENTIALITY.—Any information provided 
by veterans or their family members to the Office may 
be disclosed only to the extent necessary to carry out the 
duties of the Office. 
‘‘(e) OUTREACH.—The Secretary shall make available 
to each veteran, and to the family members of all veterans, 
information on contacting and utilizing the services of the 
Office.’’. 
(b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections 
at the beginning of such chapter is amended by adding 
at the end the following new item: 
‘‘321. Office of the Ombudsman.’’. 
SECTION 1. ESTABLISHMENT OF OFFICE OF THE OMBUDS-
MAN IN VETERANS HEALTH ADMINISTRA-
TION. 
(a) OFFICE OF THE OMBUDSMAN.— 
(1) ESTABLISHMENT.—Subchapter I of chapter 
73 of title 38, United States Code, is amended by 
adding at the end the following new section: 
‘‘§ 7309. Office of the Ombudsman 
‘‘(a) OFFICE; DIRECTORS.—There is established in the 
Veterans Health Administration an Office of the Ombuds-
man (in this section referred to as the ‘Office’). The Office 
shall be headed by a Director appointed by the Secretary. 
The Director shall report directly to the Secretary. 
‘‘(b) DUTIES OF OFFICE.—The Office shall— 
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‘‘(1) be responsible for ensuring— 
‘‘(A) all matters referred to the Office are 
handled in a confidential manner; and 
‘‘(B) any action taken by the Administra-
tion with respect to such a matter does not nega-
tively affect the ability of any veteran to receive 
health care or benefits under a law administered 
by the Secretary; and 
‘‘(2) serve as a last resort for complaints and 
issues that cannot be resolved at a local or regional 
level in the Administration. 
‘‘(c) DUTIES OF DIRECTOR.—The Director shall— 
‘‘(1) be responsible for overseeing the efforts of 
patient advocates in the Administration; 
‘‘(2) develop and make available to local offices 
of the Administration tools for monitoring the work 
of such patient advocates and standards to evaluate 
the work of such patient advocates; 
‘‘(3) determine trends, in terms of numbers, top-
ics, and facility locations, in patient issues and com-
plaints; 
‘‘(4) participate in such national quality con-
ferences of the Administration as the Under Secretary 
for Health may designate; 
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‘‘(5) help coordinate assistance for veterans who 
need assistance from the Administration in more than 
one region of the Administration; and 
‘‘(6) maintain a public Web site with links to 
contact information for each patient advocate at each 
medical center of the Department. 
‘‘(d) REGIONAL ADMINISTRATORS.—The Director shall 
appoint three regional administrators to support facilities 
of the Administration and veterans integrated service net-
works in their patient advocacy work, to identify best prac-
tices for patient advocacy work and inform such facilities 
and networks of such best practices, and to receive and refer 
to the board established under subsection (e) appeals from 
veterans in their respective regions who are not satisfied 
with the efforts of their local medical center of the Depart-
ment and veteran integrated service network. 
‘‘(e) BOARD.—The Director shall establish a board 
composed of the Director and the three regional administra-
tors appointed under subsection (d) to hear appeals referred 
to the board by a regional administrator under subsection 
(d) and issue a letter explaining the board’s decision re-
garding such appeal and outlining possible steps for resolv-
ing issues raised in such appeal. 
‘‘(f) LIMITATION
ON STATUTORY CONSTRUCTION.— 
Nothing in this section shall be construed as affecting the 
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authority and responsibility of coordinators of patient ad-
vocates for severely injured veterans of Operation of Endur-
ing Freedom and severely injured veterans of Operation 
Iraqi Freedom.’’. 
(2) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sec-
tions at the beginning of such chapter is amended by 
inserting after the item relating to section 7308 the 
following new item: 
‘‘7309. Office of the Ombudsman.’’. 
(b) DEADLINE FOR DESIGNATION OF OMBUDSMAN.— 
Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of 
this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall designate 
an individual to serve as the Ombudsman of the Veterans 
Health Administration under section 7309 of title 38, 
United States Code, as added by subsection (a). 
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Union Calendar No. 492 
110TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 2192 
[Report No. 110–773] 
A BILL 
To amend title 38, United States Code, to establish 
an Ombudsman within the Department of Vet-
erans Affairs. 
JULY 24, 2008 
Reported with an amendment, committed to the Com-
mittee of the Whole House on the State of the Union, 
and ordered to be printed 
VerDate Aug 31 2005 
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PO 00000
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