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.
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.
Plain Language Summary
# HR 1413 Summary **What the Bill Does** This bill would require the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and state veterans' homes to hire resident advocates—staff members who would serve as go-betweens for veterans living in these facilities and the organizations running them. These advocates would listen to complaints from residents, report those complaints to facility directors, respond to veterans, and escalate serious issues to the VA's Inspector General when necessary. **Who It Affects** The bill impacts veterans living in VA domiciliary facilities (housing and care centers for disabled veterans) and state veterans' homes across the country.
It also affects these facilities themselves, which would need to hire and pay for these new advocate positions. State homes that fail to hire an advocate would lose their eligibility for VA payment. **Current Status** HR 1413 was introduced by Representative Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) and is currently in committee, meaning it has not yet been debated or voted on by the full House of Representatives.
CRS Official Summary
This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to employ a resident advocate in each of its domiciliary facilities. The resident advocate must (1) serve as liaison between veterans in the facilities and the VA; (2) receive complaints from such veterans, transmit the complaints to the directors of the facilities, and respond to such complaints; and (3) submit complaints to the Office of Inspector General of the VA when appropriate.Additionally, state homes must also employ a resident advocate in order to be eligible for payment from the VA for domiciliary care provided to a veteran. A state home is a home established by a state or tribe for veterans who are disabled by age, disease, or otherwise and are incapable of earning a living because of such disability. The term also includes a home that furnishes nursing home care for veterans.
Latest Action
Referred to the Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity.