Veterans Treatment Court Improvement Act of 2017

Summary: Veterans Treatment Court Improvement Act of 2018  (Sec. 2) This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to hire at least 50 Veterans Justice Outreach Specialists under the Veterans Justice Outreach Program. Each of these specialists must serve as part of a justice team in a veterans treatment court or other veteran-focused court. A specialist hired under this bill must be placed at a VA medical center that:   complies with VA guidelines for specialist placement,  works within a local criminal justice system with justice-involved veterans,  maintains an affiliation with one or more veterans treatment courts or other veteran-focused courts, and   provides specialists or establishes a VA-approved plan to provide specialists to serve as part of a justice team.  The VA shall prioritize the placement of these specialists at medical centers that have an affiliation with a court that was established after this bill's enactment or is not fully staffed with specialists.  The Government Accountability Office shall report to Congress on the effectiveness of the Veterans Justice Outreach Program.

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 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.

        (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.
        (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))).

                               Speaker of the House of Representatives.

                            Vice President of the United States and    
                                               President of the Senate.