Veterans Treatment Court Improvement Act of 2017

Summary: Veterans Treatment Court Improvement Act of 2017 This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to hire at least 50 Veterans Justice Outreach Specialists, place each one at an eligible VA medical center, and ensure that each one serves as part of a justice team in a veterans treatment court or other veteran-focused court. An eligible VA medical center is one that:   complies with all VA guidelines and regulations for placement of a specialist;   works with a veteran with active, ongoing, or recent contact with some component of a local criminal justice system;  maintains an affiliation with one or more veterans treatment courts or other veteran-focused courts; and   either routinely provides specialists, or establishes a VA-approved plan to provide specialists, to serve as part of a justice team in such a court.  The VA shall prioritize the placement of specialists at eligible VA medical centers that have an affiliation with such a court that: (1) was established after the date of this bill's enactment, or (2) was established before such date and is not fully staffed with specialists.    

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 one 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.
            (3) Supplement not supplant.--The Secretary shall ensure 
        that the total number of Veterans Justice Outreach Specialists 
        employed by the Department is not less than the sum of--
                    (A) the total number of Veterans Justice Outreach 
                Specialists that were employed by the Department on the 
                day before the date of the enactment of this Act; and
                    (B) the number of Veterans Justice Outreach 
                Specialists set forth in paragraph (1).
    (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) Periodic reports by secretary of veterans affairs.--
                    (A) In general.--Not later than one year after the 
                date of the enactment of this Act and not less 
                frequently than once every year thereafter, 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.--Each 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) The total 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).
            (2) Report by comptroller general of the united states.--
                    (A) In general.--Not later than two 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 and to 
                        which they are referred by a Veterans Justice 
                        Outreach Specialist.
                            (iv) Such recommendations as the 
                        Comptroller General may have for the Secretary 
                        to improve the effectiveness of the Veterans 
                        Justice Outreach Program.
    (e) Authorization of Appropriations.--
            (1) In general.--There is authorized to be appropriated to 
        the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out subsection (a) 
        $5,500,000 for each of fiscal years 2018 through 2028.
            (2) Identification of offsets.--The Secretary shall submit 
        to Congress a report that identifies such legislative or 
        administrative actions as the Secretary determines will result 
        in a reduction in expenditures by the Department of Veterans 
        Affairs that is equal to or greater than the amounts authorized 
        to be appropriated by paragraph (1).
    (f) 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 Federal, 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))).

            Passed the Senate February 15, 2018.

            Attest:

                                                JULIE E. ADAMS,

                                                             Secretary.