Access for rural veterans to patient advocates at medical facilities of Department of Veterans Affairs

(a) In general Section 7309A of title 38, United States Code, is amended— (1) by redesignating subsections (e) and (f) as subsections (f) and (g), respectively; and (2) by inserting after subsection (d) the following new subsection (e): (e) Access to patient advocates for rural veterans The Director shall ensure that rural veterans may access the services of patient advocates, including, to the extent practicable, with respect to assigning patient advocates to rural community-based outpatient clinics.. (b) Implementation date The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall ensure that subsection (e) of such section, as amended by this section, is implemented not later than two years after the date of the enactment of this Act. (c) GAO Report Not later than two years after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States shall submit to the Committees on Veterans’ Affairs of the House of Representatives and the Senate a report evaluating the implementation under subsection (b).