← Back to Bills
H.R. 5529House117th Congress (2021-2023)In Committee

Veterans Justice Outreach Improvement Act

Sponsored by Mariannette Miller-MeeksRep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-IA)
Introduced October 8, 2021

AI-Generated Summary

Updated February 8, 2026 at 7:15 AM UTC

The Veterans Justice Outreach Improvement Act directs the Department of Veterans Affairs to strengthen its Veterans Justice Outreach (VJO) program. It requires expanded outreach to justice‑involved veterans and criminal‑justice partners, adds more VJO specialists in rural and underserved areas, and sets performance goals, training standards, and reporting requirements. The bill also calls for a report on the availability and effectiveness of veterans treatment courts.

Key Provisions

  • Mandates outreach to justice‑involved veterans, service organizations, and criminal‑justice stakeholders to raise awareness of the VJO program and eligibility, including for veterans discharged under non‑honorable conditions.
  • Requires the VA to increase the number of VJO specialists serving veterans in rural, remote, or underserved locations.
  • Orders the VA to establish performance goals, measures, and implementation timelines for the VJO program and its specialists, and to report these to Congress within one year.
  • Requires annual training for all VJO specialists on best practices for outreach and veteran eligibility.
  • Directs the VA to submit a report to Congress within one year on the availability, efficacy, best practices, and access barriers of veterans treatment courts.

Legislative Activity

Stay on top of the latest movement without scrolling through every action

6 earlier actions
HouseCommittee Latest Action

Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by Voice Vote.

Veterans' Affairs Committee

November 4, 2021

View full timeline
HouseIntro Referral

Introduced in House

October 8, 2021

HouseIntro Referral

Referred to the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs.

Veterans' Affairs Committee

October 8, 2021

HouseCommittee

Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.

Health Subcommittee

October 13, 2021

HouseCommittee

Subcommittee Hearings Held.

Health Subcommittee

October 14, 2021

HouseCommittee

Subcommittee on Health Discharged.

Veterans' Affairs Committee

November 4, 2021

HouseCommittee

Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.

Veterans' Affairs Committee

November 4, 2021

HouseCommittee

Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by Voice Vote.

Veterans' Affairs Committee

November 4, 2021

Bill Text

Latest available legislative text

Reading Mode
Latest
Raw Text PDF XML
Introduced in HouseIssued October 8, 2021

I

117th CONGRESS

1st Session

H. R. 5529

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

October 8, 2021

Mrs. Miller-Meeks (for herself and Mr. Bost) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs

A BILL

To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to make certain improvements to the Veterans Justice Outreach Program, and for other purposes.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Veterans Justice Outreach Improvement Act.

2.

Improvements to Veterans Justice Outreach Program

(a)

Outreach requirement

The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall conduct outreach regarding the Veterans Justice Outreach Program to justice-involved veterans, military and veterans service organizations, and relevant stakeholders in the criminal justice community, including officials from local law enforcement, court, and jail systems and others as determined appropriate by the Secretary. Such outreach—

(1)

shall be designed—

(A)

to spread awareness and understanding of the Program;

(B)

to spread awareness and understanding of veteran eligibility for the Program, including the eligibility of veterans who were discharged from service in the Armed Forces under conditions other than honorable; and

(C)

to improve the identification of justice-involved veterans; and

(2)

may be conducted in person, virtually, or through other means, including by the dissemination of informational materials and contact information.

(b)

Increase in number of VJO specialists

The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall increase the number of Veterans Justice Outreach specialists responsible for supporting justice-involved veterans in rural, remote, or underserved areas, including areas with local criminal justice systems located far from Department of Veterans Affairs medical centers, as determined by the Secretary.

(c)

Performance goals, measures, and implementation timelines

(1)

Establishment

The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall establish performance goals, measures, and implementation timelines for—

(A)

the Veterans Justice Outreach Program;

(B)

Veterans Justice Outreach Specialists; and

(C)

providing support for research regarding justice-involved veterans.

(2)

Report

Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report on the performance goals, measures, and implementation timelines established under paragraph (1).

(d)

Training requirement

The Secretary shall ensure that all Veterans Justice Outreach Specialists receive training not less frequently than annually on—

(1)

best practices for identifying and conducting outreach to justice-involved veterans and relevant stakeholders in the criminal justice community; and

(2)

veteran eligibility for the Veterans Justice Outreach Program.

(e)

Report on veterans treatment courts

Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report on—

(1)

the availability and efficacy of veterans treatment courts;

(2)

best practices for veterans treatment courts in meeting the needs of both justice-involved veterans and local criminal justice systems; and

(3)

the ability of justice-involved veterans to access veterans treatment courts, including any barriers that exist to increasing such access.

(f)

Definitions

In this section:

(1)

The term justice-involved veteran means a veteran with active, ongoing, or recent contact with some component of a local criminal justice system.

(2)

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.

(3)

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.

(4)

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))).