Veterans Patient Advocacy Act

Bill: 119-hr-2068
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Moolenaar, John R. [R-MI-2]
Introduced: 2025-03-11
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security
Subjects: Congressional oversight

Government information and archives

Health care coverage and access

Rural conditions and development

Veterans' medical care
Latest action: action_date: 2025-06-12
text: Subcommittee Hearings Held

Summaries:
action_date: 2025-03-11
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p><strong>Veterans Patient Advocacy Act</strong></p><p>This bill requires the Office of Patient Advocacy within the Veterans Health Administration to ensure&nbsp;that  rural veterans may access the services of patient advocates. The bill also requires the Government Accountability Office to report on the implementation of such policies.</p>

tv_txt: I 119th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 2068 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES March 11, 2025 Mr. Moolenaar (for himself and Mrs. Dingell ) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs A BILL To amend title 38, United States Code, to improve the assignment of patient advocates at medical facilities of the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Veterans Patient Advocacy Act . 2. Access for rural veterans to patient advocates at medical facilities of Department of Veterans Affairs (a) In general Section 7309A of title 38, United States Code, is amended— (1) by redesignating subsections (e) and (f) as subsections (f) and (g), respectively; and (2) by inserting after subsection (d) the following new subsection (e): (e) Access to patient advocates for rural veterans The Director shall ensure that rural veterans may access the services of patient advocates, including, to the extent practicable, with respect to assigning patient advocates to rural community-based outpatient clinics. . (b) Implementation date The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall ensure that subsection (e) of such section, as amended by this section, is implemented not later than two years after the date of the enactment of this Act. (c) GAO Report Not later than two years after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States shall submit to the Committees on Veterans’ Affairs of the House of Representatives and the Senate a report evaluating the implementation under subsection (b).