Veterans Justice Outreach Improvement Act

To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to make certain improvements to the Veterans Justice Outreach Program, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Veterans Justice Outreach Improvement Act 2. Improvements to Veterans Justice Outreach Program (a) Outreach requirement The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall conduct outreach regarding the Veterans Justice Outreach Program to justice-involved veterans, military and veterans service organizations, and relevant stakeholders in the criminal justice community, including officials from local law enforcement, court, and jail systems and others as determined appropriate by the Secretary. Such outreach— (1) shall be designed— (A) to spread awareness and understanding of the Program; (B) to spread awareness and understanding of veteran eligibility for the Program, including the eligibility of veterans who were discharged from service in the Armed Forces under conditions other than honorable; and (C) to improve the identification of justice-involved veterans; and (2) may be conducted in person, virtually, or through other means, including by the dissemination of informational materials and contact information. (b) Increase in number of VJO specialists The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall increase the number of Veterans Justice Outreach specialists responsible for supporting justice-involved veterans in rural, remote, or underserved areas, including areas with local criminal justice systems located far from Department of Veterans Affairs medical centers, as determined by the Secretary. (c) Performance goals, measures, and implementation timelines (1) Establishment The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall establish performance goals, measures, and implementation timelines for— (A) the Veterans Justice Outreach Program; (B) Veterans Justice Outreach Specialists; and (C) providing support for research regarding justice-involved veterans. (2) Report Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report on the performance goals, measures, and implementation timelines established under paragraph (1). (d) Training requirement The Secretary shall ensure that all Veterans Justice Outreach Specialists receive training not less frequently than annually on— (1) best practices for identifying and conducting outreach to justice-involved veterans and relevant stakeholders in the criminal justice community; and (2) veteran eligibility for the Veterans Justice Outreach Program. (e) Report on veterans treatment courts Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report on— (1) the availability and efficacy of veterans treatment courts; (2) best practices for veterans treatment courts in meeting the needs of both justice-involved veterans and local criminal justice systems; and (3) the ability of justice-involved veterans to access veterans treatment courts, including any barriers that exist to increasing such access. (f) Definitions In this section: (1) The term justice-involved veteran (2) The term Veterans Justice Outreach Program (3) The term Veterans Justice Outreach Specialist (4) The term veterans treatment court 42 U.S.C. 3797aa(i)(1)

Summary: Veterans Justice Outreach Improvement Act This bill updates the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Veterans Justice Outreach Program, which is a program through which the VA identifies justice-involved veterans and provides them with access to VA services. Justice-involved veterans are those with active, ongoing, or recent contact with some component of a local criminal justice system. Specifically, the bill requires the VA to conduct program outreach to justice-involved veterans, military and veterans service organizations, and relevant stakeholders in the criminal justice community (e.g., local law enforcement). The VA must increase the number of program specialists responsible for supporting justice-involved veterans in rural, remote, or underserved areas. Additionally, the VA must establish performance goals, measures, and implementation time lines for the program, specialists, and providing support for research regarding justice-involved veterans. Program specialists must receive training, at least annually, on (1) veteran eligibility for the program, and (2) best practices for identifying and conducting outreach to justice-involved veterans and relevant stakeholders in the criminal justice community.