,,ii  #aahth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #ddi  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the
 ,,united ,,states  ,february #ae1      
#bjbc,ms4 ,stabenow introduced the      
following bill2 which was read twice and
 referred to the ,committee on          
,veterans' ,affairs  ,a ,,bill  ,to     
amend title #ch1 ,united ,states ,code1 
to improve the assignment of patient    
advocates at medical facilities of the  
,department of ,veterans ,affairs4  #a4 
,short title ,this ,act may be cited as 
the ,veterans ,patient ,advocacy ,act4  
#b4 ,patient advocates at medical       
facilities of ,department of ,veterans  
,affairs  7a7 ,in general ,section      
#gcji;,a of title #ch1 ,united ,states  
,code1 is amended-- 7#a7 by             
redesignating subsections 7e7 and 7f7 as
 subsections 7f7 and 7g71 respectively2 
and  7#b7 by inserting after subsection 
7d7 the following new subsection 7e73   
7e7 ,number of patient advocates        
,beginning on the date that is one year 
after the date of the enactment of the  

,veterans ,patient ,advocacy ,act1 the  
,director shall ensure that-- 7#a7 there
 is not fewer than one patient advocate 
for every #ac1ejj veterans enrolled in  
the system of annual patient enrollment 
of the ,department established and      
operated under section #agje7;a7 of this
 title2 and  7#b7 highly rural veterans 
may access the services of patient      
advocates1 including1 to the extent     
practicable1 by assigning patient       
advocates to rural community-based      
outpatient clinics4  4  7b7 ,,gao       
,report ,not later than two years after 
the date of the enactment of this ,act1 
the ,comptroller ,general of the ,united
 ,states shall submit to the ,committee 
on ,veterans' ,affairs of the ,senate   
and the ,committee on ,veterans'        
,affairs of the ,house of               
,representatives a report evaluating the
 implementation by the ,secretary of    
,veterans ,affairs of subsection 7e7 of 
section #gcji;,a of title #ch1 ,united  
,states ,code1 as added by subsection   

7a77#b74