[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1853 Introduced in House (IH)]







110th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1853

 To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to ensure that Department 
 of Veterans Affairs police officers receive training to interact with 
    visitors and patients at Department medical facilities who are 
                     suffering from mental illness.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 29, 2007

  Ms. Watson introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                     Committee on Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to ensure that Department 
 of Veterans Affairs police officers receive training to interact with 
    visitors and patients at Department medical facilities who are 
                     suffering from mental illness.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Jose Medina Veterans Affairs Police 
Training Act of 2007''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) On September 30, 2006, there were an estimated 
        24,000,000 living veterans.
            (2) 7.8 percent of the total estimated resident population 
        of the United States and Puerto Rico are recipients, or 
        potential recipients, of veterans' benefits from the Federal 
        Government.
            (3) For fiscal year 2008, it is estimated that there will 
        be 5,800,000 veterans seeking medical care from the Federal 
        Government, and that 2,800,000 veterans will receive 
        compensation for service-related conditions.
            (4) These veterans may potentially seek medical assistance 
        by directly contacting a Department of Veterans Affairs Medical 
        Center.
            (5) According to a 2003 study conducted by the United 
        States Army, 15 to 20 percent of veterans of the conflicts in 
        Iraq and Afghanistan are showing symptoms of post-traumatic 
        stress disorder (in this Act referred to as ``PTSD'').
            (6) Studies show that members of the reserve components are 
        particularly vulnerable to PTSD, and females face a higher risk 
        for PTSD than do males.
            (7) Approximately 20 to 25 percent of the women who served 
        in Vietnam and in the Persian Gulf War developed PTSD, and 
        psychologists are expecting figures to be at least as high for 
        Operation Iraqi Freedom.
            (8) According to figures released by the Department of 
        Defense, more than 1,000,000 American troops have served thus 
        far in the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, and some experts 
        predict that the number eventually requiring mental health 
        treatment could exceed 100,000.

SEC. 3. SENSE OF CONGRESS.

    It is the sense of Congress that while the United States is 
conducting combat operations in Afghanistan and Iraq, the Department of 
Veterans Affairs should better prepare its police force to interact 
with patients and visitors at Department medical facilities who suffer 
from mental illness.

SEC. 4. TRAINING FOR DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS POLICE OFFICERS TO 
              INTERACT WITH INDIVIDUALS SUFFERING FROM MENTAL ILLNESS.

    (a) Training for Department of Veterans Affairs Police Officers To 
Interact With Individuals Suffering From Mental Illness.--
            (1) In general.--Chapter 9 of title 38, United States Code, 
        is amended by adding at the end the following new section:
``Sec. 906. Training for Department police officers to interact with 
              individuals suffering from mental illness
    ``The Secretary shall ensure that all Department police officers 
receive training on how to interact with visitors and patients at 
Department medical facilities who are suffering from, or who exhibit 
symptoms of, mental illness.''.
            (2) Clerical amendment.--The table of sections at the 
        beginning of such chapter is amended by adding at the end the 
        following new item:

``906. Training for Department police officers to interact with 
                            individuals suffering from mental 
                            illness.''.
    (b) Effective Date.--The Secretary shall implement section 906 of 
title 38, United States Code, as added by subsection (a), not later 
than 8 months after the date of the enactment of this Act.
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