I 
110TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1749 
To establish an Ombudsman in the Department of Defense to assist members 
of the Armed Forces seeking medical care at military medical treatment 
facilities. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 28, 2007 
Mr. WELCH of Vermont introduced the following bill; which was referred to 
the Committee on Armed Services 
A BILL 
To establish an Ombudsman in the Department of Defense 
to assist members of the Armed Forces seeking medical 
care at military medical treatment facilities. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Veterans’ Care Advo-
cate Act’’. 
SEC. 2. OMBUDSMEN FOR RECOVERING SERVICEMEMBERS. 
(a) 
OMBUDSMEN
FOR
RECOVERING 
SERVICEMEMBERS.— 
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(1) IN
GENERAL.—The Secretary of Defense 
shall establish within each military medical treat-
ment facility of the Department of Defense the posi-
tion of Ombudsman for Recovering Servicemembers 
(in this subsection referred to as the ‘‘Ombudsman’’ 
or ‘‘Ombudsmen’’). 
(2) ASSIGNMENT.—The Secretary shall assign 
to each position established under paragraph (1) a 
member of the Armed Forces or civilian employee of 
the Department of Defense who is qualified to dis-
charge the duties of the position. 
(3) DUTIES.—Each Ombudsman shall act as a 
liaison for recovering servicemembers and their fam-
ily members with respect to the evaluation and care 
of recovering servicemembers under the physical dis-
ability evaluation systems. The duties of the Om-
budsmen shall include, at a minimum, the following: 
(A) Helping servicemembers and their 
family members complete paperwork. 
(B) Helping servicemembers and their 
family 
members 
understand 
administrative 
guidelines. 
(C) 
Providing 
information 
to 
servicemembers and their family members about 
available benefits. 
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(D) 
Making 
recommendations 
to 
servicemembers and their family members. 
(E) Providing such other advice and help 
to servicemembers and their family members as 
the Ombudsman considers appropriate. 
(4) OUTREACH.—The Secretary shall make 
available to each recovering servicemember, and to 
the 
family 
members 
of 
all 
recovering 
servicemembers, information on contacting and uti-
lizing the services of the Ombudsmen. 
(b) DEFINITIONS.—In this section; 
(1) RECOVERING SERVICEMEMBER.—The term 
‘‘recovering servicemember’’ means a member of the 
Armed Forces, including a member of the National 
Guard or a Reserve, who is undergoing medical 
treatment, recuperation, or therapy, or is otherwise 
in medical hold or holdover status, for an injury, ill-
ness, or disease incurred or aggravated while on ac-
tive duty in the Armed Forces. 
(2) FAMILY MEMBER.—The term ‘‘family mem-
ber’’, with respect to a recovering servicemember, 
has the meaning given that term in section 411h(b) 
of title 37, United States Code. 
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(3) PHYSICAL
DISABILITY
EVALUATION
SYS-
TEMS.—The term ‘‘physical disability evaluation sys-
tems’’ means the following: 
(A) In the case of the Department of the 
Army, the Physical Disability Evaluation Sys-
tem (PDES) of the Army. 
(B) In the case of any other military de-
partment, the physical disability evaluation sys-
tem or similar system or process of such mili-
tary departments that carries out functions 
equivalent to the function carried out for the 
Army by the Physical Disability Evaluation 
System of the Army. 
SEC. 3. PROGRESS REPORTS ON IMPLEMENTATION OF OM-
BUDSMEN PROGRAM. 
(a) ONGOING REPORT REQUIREMENT.—Not later 
than 6 months after the date of the enactment of this Act, 
and every 6 months thereafter, the Secretary of Defense 
shall submit to the committees listed in subsection (c) a 
report on progress in the implementation of section 2. 
(b) MATTERS COVERED.—The report shall address 
the following matters; 
(1) A description of the number and location of 
Ombudsman positions established. 
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(2) A description of the services being provided 
by the Ombudsmen. 
(3) An analysis of the effectiveness of the serv-
ices being provided, including the timeliness of the 
services. 
(4) The adequacy of Federal resources to pro-
vide the services and other actual or potential bar-
riers to provision of the services. 
(5) Any actual and potential conflicts of inter-
est in the administration and operation of the Om-
budsmen program. 
(6) Any other matters the Secretary considers 
appropriate. 
(c) COMMITTEES.—The committees listed in this sub-
section are the following: 
(1) The Committee on Homeland Security and 
Governmental Affairs of the Senate. 
(2) The Committee on Oversight and Govern-
ment Reform of the House of Representatives. 
(3) The Committees on Armed Services of the 
Senate and the House of Representatives. 
Æ 
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