[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1413 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1413

  To amend title 38, United States Code, to require that domiciliary 
 facilities of the Department of Veterans Affairs and State homes that 
          provide housing to veterans have resident advocates.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           February 18, 2025

Mr. Gottheimer introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                     Committee on Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To amend title 38, United States Code, to require that domiciliary 
 facilities of the Department of Veterans Affairs and State homes that 
          provide housing to veterans have resident advocates.

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

SECTION 1. REQUIREMENT OF RESIDENT ADVOCATE IN A DOMICILIARY FACILITY 
              OF THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS OR STATE HOME.

    (a) Domiciliary Facilities of the Department of Veterans Affairs.--
Subchapter I of chapter 17 of title 38, United States Code, is amended 
by adding at the end the following new section (and conforming the 
table of sections at the beginning of such chapter accordingly):
``Sec. 1720M. Resident advocates in domiciliary facilities of the 
              Department
    ``(a) Requirement.--The Secretary shall employ in each domiciliary 
facility of the Department a resident advocate.
    ``(b) Duties.--A resident advocate shall have duties that include 
the following:
            ``(1) To serve as a liaison between veterans in the 
        domiciliary facility and the Secretary.
            ``(2) To receive complaints from such veterans, transmit 
        such complaints to the director of such domiciliary facility, 
        and respond to such complaints.
            ``(3) When the resident advocate determines it appropriate, 
        to submit such a complaint to the Secretary, the Inspector 
        General of the Department.''.
    (b) State Homes.--Section 1741 of title 38, United States Code, is 
amended--
            (1) by redesignating subsection (g) as subsection (h); and
            (2) by inserting, after subsection (f), the following new 
        subsection (g):
    ``(g) To be eligible for payment for domiciliary care provided to a 
veteran in a State home under this section, a State shall employ in 
such State home a resident advocate. A resident advocate shall have 
duties that include the following:
            ``(1) To serve as a liaison between veterans in such State 
        home and the State.
            ``(2) To receive complaints from such veterans, transmit 
        such complaints to the director of the State home, and respond 
        to such complaints.
            ``(3) When the resident advocate determines it appropriate, 
        to submit such a complaint to the Secretary, the Inspector 
        General of the Department, or an appropriate State official.''.
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