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.
Short title
This Act may be cited as the Veterans Justice Outreach Improvement Act
.
Improvements to Veterans Justice Outreach Program
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—
shall be designed—
to spread awareness and understanding of the Program;
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
to improve the identification of justice-involved veterans; and
may be conducted in person, virtually, or through other means, including by the dissemination of informational materials and contact information.
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.
Performance goals, measures, and implementation timelines
Establishment
The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall establish performance goals, measures, and implementation timelines for—
the Veterans Justice Outreach Program;
Veterans Justice Outreach Specialists; and
providing support for research regarding justice-involved veterans.
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).
Training requirement
The Secretary shall ensure that all Veterans Justice Outreach Specialists receive training not less frequently than annually on—
best practices for identifying and conducting outreach to justice-involved veterans and relevant stakeholders in the criminal justice community; and
veteran eligibility for the Veterans Justice Outreach Program.
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—
the availability and efficacy of veterans treatment courts;
best practices for veterans treatment courts in meeting the needs of both justice-involved veterans and local criminal justice systems; and
the ability of justice-involved veterans to access veterans treatment courts, including any barriers that exist to increasing such access.
Definitions
In this section:
The term justice-involved veteran
means a veteran with active, ongoing, or recent contact with some component of a local criminal justice system.
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.
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.
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))).