[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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