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 Depart-
ment medical facilities who are suffering from mental 
illness. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Jose Medina Veterans 
Affairs Police Training Act of 2007’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
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(1) On September 30, 2006, there were an esti-
mated 24,000,000 living veterans. 
(2) 7.8 percent of the total estimated resident 
population of the United States and Puerto Rico are 
recipients, or potential recipients, of veterans’ bene-
fits from the Federal Government. 
(3) For fiscal year 2008, it is estimated that 
there will be 5,800,000 veterans seeking medical 
care from the Federal Government, and that 
2,800,000 veterans will receive compensation for 
service-related conditions. 
(4) These veterans may potentially seek medical 
assistance by directly contacting a Department of 
Veterans Affairs Medical Center. 
(5) According to a 2003 study conducted by the 
United States Army, 15 to 20 percent of veterans of 
the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan are showing 
symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (in this 
Act referred to as ‘‘PTSD’’). 
(6) Studies show that members of the reserve 
components are particularly vulnerable to PTSD, 
and females face a higher risk for PTSD than do 
males. 
(7) Approximately 20 to 25 percent of the 
women who served in Vietnam and in the Persian 
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Gulf War developed PTSD, and psychologists are 
expecting figures to be at least as high for Operation 
Iraqi Freedom. 
(8) According to figures released by the Depart-
ment of Defense, more than 1,000,000 American 
troops have served thus far in the conflicts in Iraq 
and Afghanistan, and some experts predict that the 
number eventually requiring mental health treat-
ment could exceed 100,000. 
SEC. 3. SENSE OF CONGRESS. 
It is the sense of Congress that while the United 
States is conducting combat operations in Afghanistan 
and Iraq, the Department of Veterans Affairs should bet-
ter prepare its police force to interact with patients and 
visitors at Department medical facilities who suffer from 
mental illness. 
SEC. 4. TRAINING FOR DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AF-
FAIRS POLICE OFFICERS TO INTERACT WITH 
INDIVIDUALS SUFFERING FROM MENTAL ILL-
NESS. 
(a) TRAINING FOR DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AF-
FAIRS POLICE OFFICERS TO INTERACT WITH INDIVID-
UALS SUFFERING FROM MENTAL ILLNESS.— 
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(1) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 9 of title 38, United 
States Code, is amended by adding at the end the 
following new section: 
‘‘§ 906. Training for Department police officers to 
interact with individuals suffering from 
mental illness 
‘‘The Secretary shall ensure that all Department po-
lice officers receive training on how to interact with visi-
tors and patients at Department medical facilities who are 
suffering from, or who exhibit symptoms of, mental ill-
ness.’’. 
(2) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sec-
tions at the beginning of such chapter is amended 
by adding at the end the following new item: 
‘‘906. Training for Department police officers to interact with individuals suf-
fering from mental illness.’’. 
(b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The Secretary shall imple-
ment section 906 of title 38, United States Code, as added 
by subsection (a), not later than 8 months after the date 
of the enactment of this Act. 
Æ 
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