Strengthening VA Patient Advocacy for Rural Veterans Act of 2025

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1134 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

<DOC>






119th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1134

To amend title 38, United States Code, to improve the Office of Patient 
            Advocacy of the Department of Veterans Affairs.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             March 26, 2025

 Mr. Cramer (for himself and Ms. Rosen) introduced the following bill; 
which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To amend title 38, United States Code, to improve the Office of Patient 
            Advocacy of the Department of Veterans Affairs.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Strengthening VA Patient Advocacy 
for Rural Veterans Act of 2025''.

SEC. 2. IMPROVEMENT OF OFFICE OF PATIENT ADVOCACY OF DEPARTMENT OF 
              VETERANS AFFAIRS.

    Section 7309A of title 38, United States Code, is amended--
            (1) by redesignating subsection (f) as subsection (i); and
            (2) by inserting after subsection (e) the following new 
        subsections:
    ``(f) Coordination of Care in Rural and Highly Rural Areas.--(1) 
The director of a medical center of the Department shall designate not 
fewer than one patient advocate to serve as the coordinator for 
veterans in rural and highly-rural areas served by that medical center 
who are receiving care through the broader network of care furnished by 
the Department through community-based outpatient clinics or the 
community care network.
    ``(2) An individual designated under paragraph (1) shall carry out 
the functions of the patient advocate position specific to supporting 
veterans in rural and highly-rural areas receiving care at locations 
outside of a medical center of the Department.
    ``(3) To the maximum extent practicable, the director of a medical 
center shall designate existing staff of the medical center to carry 
out paragraph (1).
    ``(g) Inclusion of Medical Center Directors in Chain of 
Reporting.--The Director shall ensure that a patient advocate at a 
medical center of the Department reports to the director of that 
medical center at some point along the reporting line for the patient 
advocate.
    ``(h) Annual Report on Information in Patient Advocate Tracking 
System.--(1) Not less frequently than annually, the Secretary shall 
submit to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the Senate, the 
Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the House of Representatives, and the 
Director of each Veterans Integrated Service Network a report outlining 
information generated through the Patient Advocate Tracking System, or 
successor system.
    ``(2) Each report required under paragraph (1) shall include de-
identified data from the Patient Advocate Tracking System, or successor 
system, regarding--
            ``(A) common issues reported;
            ``(B) resolution times for such issues;
            ``(C) resolution times for requests for information; and
            ``(D) compliments or complaints received under such 
        system.''.
                                 <all>