VA Medical Center Security Report Act of 2023

Subjects: Armed Forces and National Security


<html><body><pre>[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3504 Introduced in House (IH)]

&lt;DOC&gt;






118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 3504

 To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to submit to each of the 
    Committees on Veterans' Affairs of the Senate and the House of 
Representatives an annual report regarding security at medical centers 
     of the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 18, 2023

   Mrs. Kiggans of Virginia introduced the following bill; which was 
             referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to submit to each of the 
    Committees on Veterans' Affairs of the Senate and the House of 
Representatives an annual report regarding security at medical centers 
     of the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``VA Medical Center Security Report 
Act of 2023''.

SEC. 2. ANNUAL REVIEW OF SECURITY AT MEDICAL CENTERS OF THE DEPARTMENT 
              OF VETERANS AFFAIRS.

    (a) Annual Survey.--Not later than one year after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter for each of the 
following five years, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, in 
coordination with the Director of the Office of Security and Law 
Enforcement of the Department of Veterans Affairs, shall conduct an 
annual survey of covered employees to collect information regarding 
security at each medical center of the Department of Veterans Affairs. 
Each annual survey shall include questions about--
            (1) the type and frequency of criminal activity experienced 
        at the medical center during the 12 months prior to the date 
        the covered employee completes the survey;
            (2) the number of vacant positions for Department police 
        officers at the medical center, and the number of days each 
        vacant position has been vacant;
            (3) the availability and adequacy of covered equipment;
            (4) the availability and adequacy of resources, classes, or 
        other time set aside for training Department police officers 
        who work at the medical center about any skill or tactic 
        related to law enforcement, including the proper use of force, 
        firearms qualifications and training, procedures for responding 
        to an active threat, and any other training required for 
        Department police officers;
            (5) any security weakness;
            (6) an analysis of the relationship between the medical 
        center (including the Department police officers who work at 
        the medical center) and local law enforcement agencies;
            (7) efforts by the medical center personnel to address and 
        reduce criminal activity at, or in close proximity to, the 
        medical center; and
            (8) recommendations for the Secretary to better address and 
        reduce criminal activity at, or in close proximity to, medical 
        centers.
    (b) Report.--Not later than one year after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter for each of the 
following five years, the Secretary shall submit to each of the 
Committees on Veterans' Affairs of the Senate and the House of 
Representatives an annual report regarding security at medical centers 
of the Department of Veterans Affairs that includes--
            (1) the results of the annual survey described under 
        subsection (a) for the year covered by the report;
            (2) an analysis, made in coordination with the Director of 
        the Office of Security and Law Enforcement of such Department 
        and each director and police chief of a Veterans Integrated 
        Service Network, of the results of the annual survey described 
        under subsection (a) for the year covered by the report;
            (3) a plan of action that describes how the Secretary plans 
        to address any security weakness identified in the results of 
        the annual survey and includes clearly stated goals with 
        measurable benchmarks for each goal and deadlines for each 
        benchmark; and
            (4) a list of each vacant position for police chief or 
        deputy police chief at any such medical center, and the number 
        of days the position has been vacant.
    (c) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) The term ``covered equipment'' means any item issued by 
        the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to a Department police 
        officer (including batons, firearms, pepper spray, ballistic 
        vests, body-worn cameras, and radios) for use in the provision 
        of services under section 902 of title 38, United States Code.
            (2) The term ``covered employee'' means any employee of the 
        Department of Veterans Affairs who is employed at a medical 
        center of the Department of Veterans Affairs as a police chief, 
        a facility emergency management leader, a medical center 
        director, or a person carrying out the responsibilities of one 
        of these positions in an acting capacity.
            (3) The term ``Department police officer'' has the meaning 
        given to such term under section 902 of title 38, United States 
        Code.
            (4) The term ``security weakness'' means a deficiency in 
        the facilities, staffing, or covered equipment at a medical 
        center that a covered employee at the medical center determines 
        presents a risk to the safety of patients or staff, including 
        an unsecured door, inoperable security camera, unsecured police 
        operations room, a lack of security presence at an entrance to 
        the medical center, and a lack of security presence in an area 
        of the medical center or the grounds of the medical center that 
        the director of the medical center determines requires an 
        increased security presence.
                                 &lt;all&gt;
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