[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5973 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 5973

 To direct the Attorney General, in consultation with the Secretary of 
 Veterans Affairs, to establish a pilot program to help State prisons 
  and local jails improve the documentation of incarcerated veterans.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           February 26, 2020

 Ms. Kendra S. Horn of Oklahoma (for herself, Mr. Crenshaw, Mr. Cole, 
Ms. Sherrill, Mr. Crow, Mr. Case, Mr. Larsen of Washington, Mrs. Murphy 
of Florida, Ms. Norton, and Mrs. Rodgers of Washington) introduced the 
  following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To direct the Attorney General, in consultation with the Secretary of 
 Veterans Affairs, to establish a pilot program to help State prisons 
  and local jails improve the documentation of incarcerated veterans.

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

SECTION 1. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) Approximately 200,000 veterans are incarcerated in the 
        United States.
            (2) More than half of all veterans involved in the criminal 
        justice system suffer from a mental health condition or 
        substance abuse disorder.
            (3) Such veterans may be at a greater risk for suicide.
            (4) Veterans released from incarceration have specialized 
        needs and face different issues relating to reentry into 
        society.

SEC. 2. PILOT PROGRAM TO IMPROVE DOCUMENTATION OF INCARCERATED 
              VETERANS.

    (a) Establishment.--The Attorney General, in consultation with the 
Secretary of Veterans Affairs, shall carry out a pilot program to 
provide grants and technical assistance to State prisons and local 
jails to improve documentation of whether inmates of such institutions 
are veterans.
    (b) Purpose.--The purposes of the pilot program are the following:
            (1) To assist the Secretary in providing benefits to 
        incarcerated veterans under laws administered by the Secretary.
            (2) To assist veterans affairs offices of States in 
        providing benefits to incarcerated veterans under laws 
        administered by such offices.
            (3) To increase the number of veterans involved in the 
        criminal justice system whose cases are diverted to veterans 
        treatment courts.
    (c) Priority.--In selecting grant recipients under the pilot 
program, the Attorney General shall give priority to State prisons and 
local jails located in--
            (1) States that contain the greatest populations of 
        veterans per capita;
            (2) States with the highest rates of veterans living in 
        poverty; and
            (3) jurisdictions that contain a veterans treatment court 
        or veterans diversion program.
    (d) Definitions.--In this section, the terms ``veterans treatment 
court'' and ``veterans diversion program'' mean a State or local court 
that is participating in the veterans treatment court program (as 
defined in section 2991(i)(1) of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe 
Streets Act of 1968; 34 U.S.C. 10651(i)(1)).
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