I 
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 vet-
erans who receive health care and other benefits fur-
nished by the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for 
other purposes. 
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 ‘‘National Veterans Ad-
vocate Act of 2025’’. 
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SEC. 2. INDEPENDENT OFFICE OF THE NATIONAL VET-
ERANS’ ADVOCATE IN DEPARTMENT OF VET-
ERANS AFFAIRS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 7309A of title 38, United 
States Code, is amended— 
(1) by striking the section heading and insert-
ing the following new section heading: 
‘‘§ 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 Advo-
cacy’ ’’ 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 insert-
ing 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 
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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 Ad-
vocacy’’ and inserting ‘‘Office of the Na-
tional Veterans’ Advocate’’; 
(ii) by striking ‘‘by the Under Sec-
retary for Health’’ and inserting ‘‘by the 
Secretary’’; and 
(iii) by striking ‘‘shall report directly 
to the Under Secretary for Health’’ and in-
serting ‘‘shall be independent of the Sec-
retary’’; 
(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 insert-
ing ‘‘functions’’; 
(ii) by striking ‘‘is’’ and inserting 
‘‘are’’; and 
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(iii) by inserting before the period at 
the end the following: ‘‘and to monitor De-
partment 
processes 
and 
make 
rec-
ommendations to Congress on how to im-
prove 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 fol-
lowing 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; 
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(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 prob-
lem that facilitate the rapid assignment of a local 
veteran advocate caseworker who can directly inter-
face with the veteran if needed; and’’; and 
(iv) in subparagraph (C), as redesig-
nated by clause (ii), by inserting ‘‘or 
forms’’ after ‘‘complaint’’ both times it ap-
pears; 
(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 
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‘‘(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 De-
partment. 
‘‘(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 submis-
sion. 
‘‘(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 ac-
cessible 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 ‘‘VET-
ERAN 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 
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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 Depart-
ment.’’ and inserting ‘‘shall—’’; 
(B) by adding at the end the following new 
subparagraphs: 
‘‘(A) develop the curriculum for such train-
ing 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 organi-
zations; 
‘‘(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 mat-
ters as the Secretary determines appropriate; 
and 
‘‘(D) ensure that such training is con-
sistent throughout the Department.’’; 
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(9) by redesignating subsection (f) as sub-
section (l); and 
(10) by inserting after subsection (e) the fol-
lowing 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 man-
aging the employees of the Office with primary responsi-
bility 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 Na-
tional Veterans’ Advocate shall have employees in the 
Washington, D.C., office in the Department. Such employ-
ees 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’ Advo-
cate determines appropriate. 
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‘‘(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 out-
reach to veterans receiving benefits under the laws admin-
istrated 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 Bene-
fits 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 im-
provement. 
‘‘(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 
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by striking the item relating to section 7309A and insert-
ing the following new item: 
‘‘7309A. Office of the National Veterans’ Advocate.’’. 
Æ 
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