[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 30 (Thursday, February 15, 2018)]
[Senate]
[Page S1190]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





            VETERANS TREATMENT COURT IMPROVEMENT ACT OF 2017

  Mr. ALEXANDER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the 
Committee on Veterans' Affairs be discharged from further consideration 
of S. 946 and the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The clerk will report the bill by title.
  The senior assistant legislative clerk read as follows:

       A bill (S. 946) to require the Secretary of Veterans 
     Affairs to hire additional Veterans Justice Outreach 
     Specialists to provide treatment court services to justice-
     involved veterans, and for other purposes.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the bill.
  Mr. ALEXANDER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Flake 
substitute amendment be considered and agreed to, the bill, as amended, 
be considered read a third time and passed, and the motion to 
reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The amendment (No. 2042) in the nature of a substitute was agreed to, 
as follows:

                (Purpose: In the nature of a substitute)

       Strike all after the enacting clause and insert the 
     following:

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Veterans Treatment Court 
     Improvement Act of 2018''.

     SEC. 2. HIRING BY DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS OF 
                   ADDITIONAL VETERANS JUSTICE OUTREACH 
                   SPECIALISTS.

       (a) Hiring of Additional Veterans Justice Outreach 
     Specialists.--
       (1) In general.--Not later than one year after the date of 
     the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs 
     shall hire not fewer than 50 Veterans Justice Outreach 
     Specialists and place each such Veterans Justice Outreach 
     Specialist at an eligible Department of Veterans Affairs 
     medical center in accordance with this section.
       (2) Requirements.--The Secretary shall ensure that each 
     Veterans Justice Outreach Specialist employed under paragraph 
     (1)--
       (A) serves, either exclusively or in addition to other 
     duties, as part of a justice team in a veterans treatment 
     court or other veteran-focused court; and
       (B) otherwise meets Department hiring guidelines for 
     Veterans Justice Outreach Specialists.
       (3) Supplement not supplant.--The Secretary shall ensure 
     that the total number of Veterans Justice Outreach 
     Specialists employed by the Department is not less than the 
     sum of--
       (A) the total number of Veterans Justice Outreach 
     Specialists that were employed by the Department on the day 
     before the date of the enactment of this Act; and
       (B) the number of Veterans Justice Outreach Specialists set 
     forth in paragraph (1).
       (b) Eligible Department of Veterans Affairs Medical 
     Centers.--For purposes of this section, an eligible 
     Department of Veterans Affairs medical center is any 
     Department of Veterans Affairs medical center that--
       (1) complies with all Department guidelines and regulations 
     for placement of a Veterans Justice Outreach Specialist;
       (2) works within a local criminal justice system with 
     justice-involved veterans;
       (3) maintains an affiliation with one or more veterans 
     treatment courts or other veteran-focused courts; and
       (4) either--
       (A) routinely provides Veterans Justice Outreach 
     Specialists to serve as part of a justice team in a veterans 
     treatment court or other veteran-focused court; or
       (B) establishes a plan that is approved by the Secretary to 
     provide Veterans Justice Outreach Specialists employed under 
     subsection (a)(1) to serve as part of a justice team in a 
     veterans treatment court or other veteran-focused court.
       (c) Placement Priority.--The Secretary shall prioritize the 
     placement of Veterans Justice Outreach Specialists employed 
     under subsection (a)(1) at eligible Department of Veterans 
     Affairs medical centers that have or intend to establish an 
     affiliation, for the purpose of carrying out the Veterans 
     Justice Outreach Program, with a veterans treatment court, or 
     other veteran-focused court, that--
       (1) was established on or after the date of the enactment 
     of this Act; or
       (2)(A) was established before the date of the enactment of 
     this Act; and
       (B) is not fully staffed with Veterans Justice Outreach 
     Specialists.
       (d) Reports.--
       (1) Periodic reports by secretary of veterans affairs.--
       (A) In general.--Not later than one year after the date of 
     the enactment of this Act and not less frequently than once 
     every year thereafter, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs 
     shall submit to Congress a report on the implementation of 
     this section and its effect on the Veterans Justice Outreach 
     Program.
       (B) Contents.--Each report submitted under paragraph (1) 
     shall include the following:
       (i) The status of the efforts of the Secretary to hire 
     Veterans Justice Outreach Specialists pursuant to subsection 
     (a)(1), including the total number of Veterans Justice 
     Outreach Specialists hired by the Secretary pursuant to such 
     subsection and the number that the Secretary expects to hire 
     pursuant to such subsection.
       (ii) The total number of Veterans Justice Outreach 
     Specialists assigned to each Department of Veterans Affairs 
     medical center that participates in the Veterans Justice 
     Outreach Program, including the number of Veterans Justice 
     Outreach Specialists hired under subsection (a)(1) 
     disaggregated by Department of Veterans Affairs medical 
     center.
       (iii) The total number of eligible Department of Veterans 
     Affairs medical centers that sought placement of a Veterans 
     Justice Outreach Specialist under subsection (a)(1), how many 
     Veterans Justice Outreach Specialists each such center 
     sought, and how many of such medical centers received no 
     placement of a Veterans Justice Outreach Specialist under 
     subsection (a)(1).
       (iv) The total number of justice-involved veterans who were 
     served or are expected to be served by a Veterans Justice 
     Outreach Specialist hired under subsection (a)(1).
       (2) Report by comptroller general of the united states.--
       (A) In general.--Not later than two years after the date of 
     the enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the 
     United States shall submit to Congress a report on the 
     implementation of this section and the effectiveness of the 
     Veterans Justice Outreach Program.
       (B) Contents.--The report required by subparagraph (A) 
     shall include the following:
       (i) An assessment of whether the Secretary has fulfilled 
     the Secretary's obligations under this section.
       (ii) The number of veterans who are served by Veterans 
     Justice Outreach Specialists hired under subsection (a)(1), 
     disaggregated by demographics (including discharge status).
       (iii) An identification of any subgroups of veterans who 
     underutilize services provided under laws administered by the 
     Secretary and to which they are referred by a Veterans 
     Justice Outreach Specialist.
       (iv) Such recommendations as the Comptroller General may 
     have for the Secretary to improve the effectiveness of the 
     Veterans Justice Outreach Program.
       (e) Authorization of Appropriations.--
       (1) In general.--There is authorized to be appropriated to 
     the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out subsection (a) 
     $5,500,000 for each of fiscal years 2018 through 2028.
       (2) Identification of offsets.--The Secretary shall submit 
     to Congress a report that identifies such legislative or 
     administrative actions as the Secretary determines will 
     result in a reduction in expenditures by the Department of 
     Veterans Affairs that is equal to or greater than the amounts 
     authorized to be appropriated by paragraph (1).
       (f) Definitions.--In this section:
       (1) Justice team.--The term ``justice team'' means the 
     group of individuals, which may include a judge, court 
     coordinator, prosecutor, public defender, treatment provider, 
     probation or other law enforcement officer, program mentor, 
     and Veterans Justice Outreach Specialist, who assist justice-
     involved veterans in a veterans treatment court or other 
     veteran-focused court.
       (2) Justice-involved veteran.--The term ``justice-involved 
     veteran'' means a veteran with active, ongoing, or recent 
     contact with some component of a local criminal justice 
     system.
       (3) Local criminal justice system.--The term ``local 
     criminal justice system'' means law enforcement, jails, 
     prisons, and Federal, State, and local courts.
       (4) Veterans justice outreach program.--The term ``Veterans 
     Justice Outreach Program'' means the program through which 
     the Department of Veterans Affairs identifies justice-
     involved veterans and provides such veterans with access to 
     Department services.
       (5) Veterans justice outreach specialist.--The term 
     ``Veterans Justice Outreach Specialist'' means an employee of 
     the Department of Veterans Affairs who serves as a liaison 
     between the Department and the local criminal justice system 
     on behalf of a justice-involved veteran.
       (6) Veterans treatment court.--The term ``veterans 
     treatment court'' means a Federal, 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 (42 U.S.C. 3797aa(i)(1))).
  The bill (S. 946), as amended, was ordered to be engrossed for a 
third reading, was read the third time, and passed.

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