[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):
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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.