[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 613 Introduced in House (IH)]

114th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 613

  To amend the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to 
    authorize veterans' treatment courts and encourage services for 
                               veterans.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 28, 2015

Mr. Meehan (for himself, Mr. Carney, Mr. Bucshon, Mrs. Napolitano, Mrs. 
 Comstock, Mr. Fattah, Mr. Fitzpatrick, Mr. Tonko, and Mr. Costello of 
Pennsylvania) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                       Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To amend the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to 
    authorize veterans' treatment courts and encourage services for 
                               veterans.

    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 ``Servicemember Assistance for Lawful 
Understanding, Treatment, and Education Act'' or the ``SALUTE Act''.

SEC. 2. VETERANS' TREATMENT COURTS.

    Title I of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 
(42 U.S.C. 3711 et seq.) is amended--
            (1) by redesignating part JJ, as added by section 952 of 
        Public Law 110-315 (relating to Loan Repayment for Prosecutors 
        and Public Defenders), as part LL, and moving such part so that 
        such part follows part KK;
            (2) in part LL, as so redesignated and moved by paragraph 
        (1), by redesignating section 3001 as section 3021; and
            (3) by adding at the end the following new part:

                 ``PART MM--VETERANS' TREATMENT COURTS

``SEC. 3031. GRANT AUTHORITY.

    ``(a) In General.--The Attorney General is authorized to award 
grants for developing, implementing, or enhancing veterans' treatment 
courts or expanding operational mental health or drug courts to serve 
veterans to ensure that such courts effectively integrate substance 
abuse treatment, mental health treatment, sanctions and incentives, and 
transitional services, in a judicially supervised court setting with 
jurisdiction over offenders who are veterans. The Attorney General may 
award such grants to States, State courts, local courts, units of local 
government, and Indian tribal governments, acting directly or through 
agreements with other public or private entities, for court programs 
that involve--
            ``(1) continuing judicial supervision over offenders who 
        are veterans with substance abuse or mental health problems;
            ``(2) coordination with appropriate Federal, State, or 
        local prosecutors;
            ``(3) coordination with the Veterans Health Administration; 
        and
            ``(4) the integrated administration of other sanctions and 
        services, which shall include--
                    ``(A) substance abuse and mental health treatment 
                (such as treatment for depression, traumatic brain 
                injury, and post-traumatic stress disorder) for each 
                participant who requires such treatment;
                    ``(B) diversion, probation, or other supervised 
                release involving the possibility of prosecution, 
                confinement, or incarceration based on non-compliance 
                with program requirements or failure to show 
                satisfactory progress; and
                    ``(C) offender management, which may include 
                aftercare services such as relapse prevention, health 
                care, education, vocational training, job placement, 
                housing placement, and child care or other family 
                support services for each participant who requires such 
                services.
    ``(b) Limitation on Use of Funds.--Grant funds made available under 
this part may not be used to provide judicial supervision over, 
treatment of, or other services to violent offenders. A State, State 
court, local court, unit of local government, or Indian tribal 
government that receives a grant under this part may provide such 
supervision, treatment, or services to violent offenders who are 
otherwise eligible for veterans' treatment court participation only if 
such supervision, treatment, or services are funded exclusively with 
non-Federal funds.

``SEC. 3032. ADMINISTRATION.

    ``(a) Consultation.--In awarding grants under this part, the 
Attorney General shall consult with the Secretary of Veterans Affairs 
and any other appropriate officials.
    ``(b) Regulatory Authority.--The Attorney General may, in 
consultation with the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, issue regulations 
and guidelines necessary to carry out this part.
    ``(c) Applications.--In addition to any other requirements that may 
be specified by the Attorney General, in consultation with the 
Secretary of Veterans Affairs, an application for a grant under this 
part shall--
            ``(1) include a long-term strategy and implementation plan 
        that shall provide for the consultation and coordination with 
        appropriate Federal, State and local prosecutors, particularly 
        when veterans' treatment court participants fail to comply with 
        program requirements;
            ``(2) explain the applicant's inability to fund the 
        veterans' treatment court adequately without Federal 
        assistance;
            ``(3) certify that the Federal support provided will be 
        used to supplement, and not supplant, State, tribal, and local 
        sources of funding that would otherwise be available;
            ``(4) identify related governmental or community 
        initiatives that complement or will be coordinated with the 
        veterans' treatment court;
            ``(5) certify that there has been appropriate consultation 
        with all affected agencies and that there will be appropriate 
        coordination with all affected agencies in the implementation 
        of the veterans' treatment court;
            ``(6) certify that participating offenders will be 
        supervised by one or more designated judges with responsibility 
        for the veterans' treatment court;
            ``(7) specify plans for obtaining necessary support and 
        continuing the veterans' treatment court following the 
        conclusion of Federal support; and
            ``(8) describe the methodology that will be used in 
        evaluating the veterans' treatment court.

``SEC. 3033. REPORT.

    ``A State, State court, local court, unit of local government, or 
Indian tribal government that receives funds under this part during a 
fiscal year shall submit to the Attorney General and the Secretary of 
Veterans Affairs a description and an evaluation report on a date 
specified by the Attorney General regarding the effectiveness of the 
veterans' treatment court carried out with a grant under this part.

``SEC. 3034. DEFINITIONS.

    ``For the purposes of this part:
            ``(1) Veteran.--The term `veteran' has the meaning given 
        such term in section 2108 of title 5, United States Code.
            ``(2) Veterans' treatment court.--The term `veterans' 
        treatment court' means a program designed to offer a 
        collaborative rehabilitative approach for offenders who are 
        veterans in certain criminal justice proceedings.
            ``(3) Violent offender.--The term `violent offender' has 
        the meaning given such term in section 2953(a).''.

SEC. 3. STUDY BY THE GENERAL ACCOUNTING OFFICE.

    (a) In General.--The Comptroller General of the United States shall 
conduct a study to assess the effectiveness and impact of the veterans' 
treatment court grant program authorized under part MM of title I of 
the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968. In assessing 
the effectiveness of such grant program, the Comptroller General shall 
consider--
            (1) recidivism rates of veterans' treatment court 
        participants;
            (2) completion rates among veterans' treatment court 
        participants;
            (3) the costs of veterans' treatment courts to the criminal 
        justice system; and
            (4) any other factors the Comptroller determines to be 
        appropriate.
    (b) Documents and Information.--The Attorney General and recipients 
of grants awarded under part MM of title I of the Omnibus Crime Control 
and Safe Streets Act of 1968, as a condition of receiving such a grant, 
shall provide the Comptroller General with all relevant documents and 
information that the Comptroller General determines necessary to 
conduct the study under subsection (a).
    (c) Report.--Not later than January 1, 2017, the Comptroller 
General shall report to Congress the results of the study conducted 
under subsection (a).
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