I 

110TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1853 

To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to ensure that Department of 

Veterans Affairs police officers receive training to interact with visitors 

and patients at Department medical facilities who are suffering from 

mental illness. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MARCH 29, 2007 

Ms. WATSON introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 

Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

A BILL 

To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to ensure that 

Department of Veterans Affairs police officers receive 

training to interact with visitors and patients at Department medical facilities who are suffering from mental 

illness. 

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 ‘‘Jose Medina Veterans 

5 Affairs Police Training Act of 2007’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

7 Congress finds the following: 


hsrobinson on PROD1PC76 with BILLS
2 

•HR 1853 IH

1 (1) On September 30, 2006, there were an esti2 mated 24,000,000 living veterans. 

3 (2) 7.8 percent of the total estimated resident 

4 population of the United States and Puerto Rico are 

5 recipients, or potential recipients, of veterans’ bene6 fits from the Federal Government. 

7 (3) For fiscal year 2008, it is estimated that 

8 there will be 5,800,000 veterans seeking medical 

9 care from the Federal Government, and that 

10 2,800,000 veterans will receive compensation for 

11 service-related conditions. 

12 (4) These veterans may potentially seek medical 

13 assistance by directly contacting a Department of 

14 Veterans Affairs Medical Center. 

15 (5) According to a 2003 study conducted by the 

16 United States Army, 15 to 20 percent of veterans of 

17 the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan are showing 

18 symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (in this 

19 Act referred to as ‘‘PTSD’’). 

20 (6) Studies show that members of the reserve 

21 components are particularly vulnerable to PTSD, 

22 and females face a higher risk for PTSD than do 

23 males. 

24 (7) Approximately 20 to 25 percent of the 

25 women who served in Vietnam and in the Persian 


hsrobinson on PROD1PC76 with BILLS
3 

•HR 1853 IH

1 Gulf War developed PTSD, and psychologists are 

2 expecting figures to be at least as high for Operation 

3 Iraqi Freedom. 

4 (8) According to figures released by the Depart5 ment of Defense, more than 1,000,000 American 

6 troops have served thus far in the conflicts in Iraq 

7 and Afghanistan, and some experts predict that the 

8 number eventually requiring mental health treat9 ment could exceed 100,000. 

10 SEC. 3. SENSE OF CONGRESS. 

11 It is the sense of Congress that while the United 

12 States is conducting combat operations in Afghanistan 

13 and Iraq, the Department of Veterans Affairs should bet14 ter prepare its police force to interact with patients and 

15 visitors at Department medical facilities who suffer from 

16 mental illness. 

17 SEC. 4. TRAINING FOR DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AF18 FAIRS POLICE OFFICERS TO INTERACT WITH 

19 INDIVIDUALS SUFFERING FROM MENTAL ILL20 NESS. 

21 (a) TRAINING FOR DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AF22 FAIRS POLICE OFFICERS TO INTERACT WITH INDIVID23 UALS SUFFERING FROM MENTAL ILLNESS.— 


hsrobinson on PROD1PC76 with BILLS
4 

•HR 1853 IH

1 (1) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 9 of title 38, United 

2 States Code, is amended by adding at the end the 

3 following new section: 

4 ‘‘§ 906. Training for Department police officers to 

5 interact with individuals suffering from 

6 mental illness 

7 ‘‘The Secretary shall ensure that all Department po8 lice officers receive training on how to interact with visi9 tors and patients at Department medical facilities who are 

10 suffering from, or who exhibit symptoms of, mental ill11 ness.’’. 

12 (2) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sec13 tions at the beginning of such chapter is amended 

14 by adding at the end the following new item: 

‘‘906. Training for Department police officers to interact with individuals suffering from mental illness.’’. 

15 (b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The Secretary shall imple16 ment section 906 of title 38, United States Code, as added 

17 by subsection (a), not later than 8 months after the date 

18 of the enactment of this Act. 

Æ 


hsrobinson on PROD1PC76 with BILLS