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.
This bill would require that every domiciliary facility run by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and State homes that provide housing to veterans have a resident advocate. In VA facilities, the Secretary would must employ a resident advocate in each domiciliary facility, with duties including serving as a liaison between veterans and the Secretary, handling and responding to complaints, and escalating issues to the Secretary or the Department’s Inspector General when appropriate. For State homes that receive VA payments for domiciliary care, the bill would require the State to employ a resident advocate and grant similar complaint-handling duties, with authority to escalate to the Secretary, the Inspector General, or appropriate State officials. The bill adds these requirements to Title 38 of the U.S. Code, creating new statutory provisions (Sec. 1720M for VA facilities and a new subsection (g) to Sec. 1741 for State homes).
Key Points
- 1Establishes a resident advocate in every VA domiciliary facility.
- 2Requires State homes that receive VA payment for domiciliary care to employ a resident advocate.
- 3Resident advocates’ duties include: serving as a liaison, receiving/transmitting/resolving complaints, and escalating issues to the Secretary, IG, or appropriate state official when appropriate.
- 4Codifies these duties in new statutory sections: Sec. 1720M (VA facilities) and Sec. 1741(g) (State homes).
- 5Creates potential funding and implementation implications, with oversight by VA, state authorities, and the Inspector General, and potential impact on compliance and accountability.