I 

113TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 2187 

To amend the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to 

authorize veterans’ treatment courts and encourage services for veterans. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MAY 23, 2013 

Mr. MEEHAN (for himself, Mr. CARNEY, Mr. RENACCI, Mr. DELANEY, Mr. 

OWENS, Mr. GRIMM, Mr. BUCSHON, Mr. YODER, and Mr. FATTAH) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary 

A BILL 

To amend the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets 

Act of 1968 to authorize veterans’ treatment courts and 

encourage services for veterans. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Servicemember Assist5 ance for Lawful Understanding, Treatment, and Edu6 cation Act’’ or the ‘‘SALUTE Act’’. 


tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
2 

•HR 2187 IH

1 SEC. 2. VETERANS’ TREATMENT COURTS. 

2 Title I of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe 

3 Streets Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 3711 et seq.) is amend4 ed— 

5 (1) by redesignating part JJ, as added by sec6 tion 952 of Public Law 110–315 (relating to Loan 

7 Repayment for Prosecutors and Public Defenders), 

8 as part LL, and moving such part so that such part 

9 follows part KK; 

10 (2) in part LL, as so redesignated and moved 

11 by paragraph (1), by redesignating section 3001 as 

12 section 3021; and 

13 (3) by adding at the end the following new part: 

14 ‘‘PART MM—VETERANS’ TREATMENT COURTS 

15 ‘‘SEC. 3031. GRANT AUTHORITY. 

16 ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Attorney General is author17 ized to award grants for developing, implementing, or en18 hancing veterans’ treatment courts or expanding oper19 ational mental health or drug courts to serve veterans to 

20 ensure that such courts effectively integrate substance 

21 abuse treatment, mental health treatment, sanctions and 

22 incentives, and transitional services, in a judicially super23 vised court setting with jurisdiction over offenders who are 

24 veterans. The Attorney General may award such grants 

25 to States, State courts, local courts, units of local govern26 ment, and Indian tribal governments, acting directly or 


tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
3 

•HR 2187 IH

1 through agreements with other public or private entities, 

2 for court programs that involve— 

3 ‘‘(1) continuing judicial supervision over offend4 ers who are veterans with substance abuse or mental 

5 health problems; 

6 ‘‘(2) coordination with appropriate Federal, 

7 State, or local prosecutors; 

8 ‘‘(3) coordination with the Veterans Health Ad9 ministration; and 

10 ‘‘(4) the integrated administration of other 

11 sanctions and services, which shall include— 

12 ‘‘(A) substance abuse and mental health 

13 treatment (such as treatment for depression, 

14 traumatic brain injury, and post-traumatic 

15 stress disorder) for each participant who re16 quires such treatment; 

17 ‘‘(B) diversion, probation, or other super18 vised release involving the possibility of prosecu19 tion, confinement, or incarceration based on 

20 non-compliance with program requirements or 

21 failure to show satisfactory progress; and 

22 ‘‘(C) offender management, which may in23 clude aftercare services such as relapse preven24 tion, health care, education, vocational training, 

25 job placement, housing placement, and child 


tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
4 

•HR 2187 IH

1 care or other family support services for each 

2 participant who requires such services. 

3 ‘‘(b) LIMITATION ON USE OF FUNDS.—Grant funds 

4 made available under this part may not be used to provide 

5 judicial supervision over, treatment of, or other services 

6 to violent offenders. A State, State court, local court, unit 

7 of local government, or Indian tribal government that re8 ceives a grant under this part may provide such super9 vision, treatment, or services to violent offenders who are 

10 otherwise eligible for veterans’ treatment court participa11 tion only if such supervision, treatment, or services are 

12 funded exclusively with non-Federal funds. 

13 ‘‘SEC. 3032. ADMINISTRATION. 

14 ‘‘(a) CONSULTATION.—In awarding grants under this 

15 part, the Attorney General shall consult with the Secretary 

16 of Veterans Affairs and any other appropriate officials. 

17 ‘‘(b) REGULATORY AUTHORITY.—The Attorney Gen18 eral may, in consultation with the Secretary of Veterans 

19 Affairs, issue regulations and guidelines necessary to carry 

20 out this part. 

21 ‘‘(c) APPLICATIONS.—In addition to any other re22 quirements that may be specified by the Attorney General, 

23 in consultation with the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, an 

24 application for a grant under this part shall— 


tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
5 

•HR 2187 IH

1 ‘‘(1) include a long-term strategy and imple2 mentation plan that shall provide for the consulta3 tion and coordination with appropriate Federal, 

4 State and local prosecutors, particularly when vet5 erans’ treatment court participants fail to comply 

6 with program requirements; 

7 ‘‘(2) explain the applicant’s inability to fund the 

8 veterans’ treatment court adequately without Fed9 eral assistance; 

10 ‘‘(3) certify that the Federal support provided 

11 will be used to supplement, and not supplant, State, 

12 tribal, and local sources of funding that would other13 wise be available; 

14 ‘‘(4) identify related governmental or commu15 nity initiatives that complement or will be coordi16 nated with the veterans’ treatment court; 

17 ‘‘(5) certify that there has been appropriate 

18 consultation with all affected agencies and that there 

19 will be appropriate coordination with all affected 

20 agencies in the implementation of the veterans’ 

21 treatment court; 

22 ‘‘(6) certify that participating offenders will be 

23 supervised by one or more designated judges with re24 sponsibility for the veterans’ treatment court; 


tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
6 

•HR 2187 IH

1 ‘‘(7) specify plans for obtaining necessary sup2 port and continuing the veterans’ treatment court 

3 following the conclusion of Federal support; and 

4 ‘‘(8) describe the methodology that will be used 

5 in evaluating the veterans’ treatment court. 

6 ‘‘SEC. 3033. REPORT. 

7 ‘‘A State, State court, local court, unit of local gov8 ernment, or Indian tribal government that receives funds 

9 under this part during a fiscal year shall submit to the 

10 Attorney General and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs 

11 a description and an evaluation report on a date specified 

12 by the Attorney General regarding the effectiveness of the 

13 veterans’ treatment court carried out with a grant under 

14 this part. 

15 ‘‘SEC. 3034. DEFINITIONS. 

16 ‘‘For the purposes of this part: 

17 ‘‘(1) VETERAN.—The term ‘veteran’ has the 

18 meaning given such term in section 2108 of title 5, 

19 United States Code. 

20 ‘‘(2) VETERANS’ TREATMENT COURT.—The 

21 term ‘veterans’ treatment court’ means a program 

22 designed to offer a collaborative rehabilitative ap23 proach for offenders who are veterans in certain 

24 criminal justice proceedings. 


tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
7 

•HR 2187 IH

1 ‘‘(3) VIOLENT OFFENDER.—The term ‘violent 

2 offender’ has the meaning given such term in section 

3 2953(a).’’. 

4 SEC. 3. STUDY BY THE GENERAL ACCOUNTING OFFICE. 

5 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Comptroller General of the 

6 United States shall conduct a study to assess the effective7 ness and impact of the veterans’ treatment court grant 

8 program authorized under part MM of title I of the Omni9 bus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968. In as10 sessing the effectiveness of such grant program, the 

11 Comptroller General shall consider— 

12 (1) recidivism rates of veterans’ treatment court 

13 participants; 

14 (2) completion rates among veterans’ treatment 

15 court participants; 

16 (3) the costs of veterans’ treatment courts to 

17 the criminal justice system; and 

18 (4) any other factors the Comptroller deter19 mines to be appropriate. 

20 (b) DOCUMENTS AND INFORMATION.—The Attorney 

21 General and recipients of grants awarded under part MM 

22 of title I of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets 

23 Act of 1968, as a condition of receiving such a grant, shall 

24 provide the Comptroller General with all relevant docu25 ments and information that the Comptroller General deVerDate Mar 15 2010 17:14 May 31, 2013 Jkt 029200 PO 00000 Frm 00007 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2187.IH H2187

tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
8 

•HR 2187 IH

1 termines necessary to conduct the study under subsection 

2 (a). 

3 (c) REPORT.—Not later than January 1, 2015, the 

4 Comptroller General shall report to Congress the results 

5 of the study conducted under subsection (a). 

Æ 


tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with BILLS