I 
110TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1580 
To create a Department of Defense-wide Ombudsman Office. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 20, 2007 
Mr. BILIRAKIS (for himself, Mr. BUCHANAN, and Mr. SHAYS) introduced the 
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Armed Services 
A BILL 
To create a Department of Defense-wide Ombudsman Office. 
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 ‘‘Wounded Warriors 
Joint Health Care Ombudsman Act’’. 
SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF A DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE- 
WIDE OMBUDSMAN OFFICE. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary of Defense 
shall establish a Department of Defense-wide Ombudsman 
Office (in this Act referred to as the ‘‘Ombudsman Of-
fice’’) and assign the responsibility for overseeing the Of-
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fice to the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Af-
fairs. 
(b) FUNCTIONS.—The functions of the Ombudsman 
Office are to provide assistance to and answer questions 
from medical holdover patients and their families regard-
ing— 
(1) administrative processes, financial matters, 
and non-military related services available to the pa-
tients and their families throughout the patient’s 
evaluation, treatment, and recovery; 
(2) transfer to the care of the Veterans Admin-
istration; and 
(3) support services available upon the patient’s 
return home. 
(c) ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS.— 
(1) ACCOUNTABILITY
STANDARDS.—The Om-
budsman Office shall— 
(A) create and maintain case files for indi-
vidual specific questions received, and initiate 
inquiries and track responses for all such ques-
tions; 
(B) set standards for timeliness of re-
sponses; and 
(C) set standards for accountability to 
medical holdover patients and their families, in-
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cluding requirements for daily updates to pa-
tients and family members about steps being 
taken to alleviate problems and concerns until 
problems are addressed. 
(2) TOLL-FREE PHONE NUMBERS.—The Om-
budsman shall establish and maintain toll-free tele-
phone assistance phone numbers as follows: 
(A) One number shall be available for med-
ical holdover patients and their families and 
shall operate 8 hours a day and 7 days a week. 
(B) One number shall be available for 
medical emergency questions 24 hours a day 
and 7 days a week. 
(3) STATUS REPORTS.—The Ombudsman Office 
shall submit weekly status reports of actions taken 
to address individual concerns to the Secretary of 
Defense, the Secretary of each military department, 
and the inspector general of each military depart-
ment. The Office shall also report to the commander 
or director of the office or facility with responsibility 
for the patients covered by the status report. 
(d) RESPONSES FROM OTHER OFFICES.—The Sec-
retary of Defense shall ensure that all other offices within 
the Department of Defense and the military departments 
respond in a timely manner to resolve questions and re-
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quests from the Ombudsman Office on behalf of medical 
holdover patients and their families, including offices re-
sponsible for medical matters (including medical holdover 
processes), financial and accounting matters, legal mat-
ters, human resources matters, reserve component mat-
ters, installation and management matters, and physical 
disability matters. 
(e) BRIEFINGS.—The head of the Ombudsman Office 
shall conduct briefings of senior leadership in the military 
departments on all medical holdover trends, issues, and 
problems in person on a monthly basis. 
(f) CONGRESSIONAL INQUIRIES.—The Ombudsman 
Office shall be responsible for handling, and for setting 
standards regarding the handling of, all inquiries from 
Congress regarding medical holdover patients and other 
medical questions related to the Armed Forces. The Om-
budsman Office may report about congressional inquiries 
to the congressional liaison headquarters of each military 
department. 
(g) STAFF OF THE OFFICE.— 
(1) HEAD.—The Ombudsman Office should be 
headed by a general or flag officer. 
(2) STAFF.—The Ombudsman Office shall be 
staffed by personnel from offices of the Surgeon 
General of each military department and also shall 
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