    [United States Statutes at Large, Volume 132, 115th Congress, 2nd Session]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

    Public Law 115-240
    115th Congress

    An Act

    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. <>

    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 ``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 1 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.

    (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

    [[Page 2889]]

    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) Report by secretary of veterans affairs.--
    (A) In general.--Not later than 1 year after the
    date of the enactment of this Act, 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.--The 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) For each eligible Department of Veterans
    Affairs medical center--
    (I) the 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); and
    (II) the number of justice-involved
    veterans who do not have access to a
    Veterans Justice Outreach Specialist.

    [[Page 2890]]

    (2) Report by comptroller general of the united states.--
    (A) In general.--Not later than 3 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, including an
    assessment of whether these veterans have access
    to Veterans Justice Outreach Specialists under the
    Veterans Justice Outreach Program.
    (iv) <>  Such
    recommendations as the Comptroller General may
    have for the Secretary to improve the
    effectiveness of the Veterans Justice Outreach
    Program.

    (e) 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.

    [[Page 2891]]

    (6) Veterans treatment court.--The term ``veterans treatment
    court'' means 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 (42 U.S.C. 3797aa(i)(1))).

    Approved September 17, 2018.

    LEGISLATIVE HISTORY--H.R. 2147 (S. 946):
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    HOUSE REPORTS: No. 115-682 (Comm. on Veterans' Affairs).
    CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 164 (2018):
    June 13, considered and passed House.
    Aug. 22, considered and passed Senate.