I 
116TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 7784 
To amend title 38, United States Code, to improve the staffing, transparency, 
and accountability of the law enforcement operations of the Department 
of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JULY 24, 2020 
Miss RICE of New York (for herself and Mr. PAPPAS) introduced the following 
bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 
A BILL 
To amend title 38, United States Code, to improve the 
staffing, transparency, and accountability of the law en-
forcement operations of the Department of Veterans Af-
fairs, and for other purposes. 
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 ‘‘VA Police Improve-
ment and Accountability Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. IMPROVEMENTS TO TRANSPARENCY OF LAW EN-
FORCEMENT OPERATIONS OF DEPARTMENT 
OF VETERANS AFFAIRS. 
(a) CONTACT AND INFORMATION.—Section 902 of 
title 38, United States Code, is amended by adding at the 
end the following new subsection: 
‘‘(e)(1) The Secretary shall ensure that each police 
force of a facility of the Department designates an em-
ployee of the Department to serve as a point of contact 
for other employees and for the public with respect to, at 
a minimum— 
‘‘(A) statistical information regarding— 
‘‘(i) arrests made by and tickets issued by 
Department police officers at such facility; 
‘‘(ii) prosecutions, ticketing, and other ac-
tions relating to such arrests; and 
‘‘(iii) the use of force and weapons dis-
charge; 
‘‘(B) complaints and investigations regarding 
Department police officers at such facility; and 
‘‘(C) providing information to an individual (or 
the representative, attorney, or authorized agent of 
the individual) regarding the arrest, ticketing, de-
tainment, use of force, or other police matters per-
taining to that individual, including any relevant 
court proceedings or other legal actions. 
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‘‘(2) The Secretary shall make available on the public 
internet website of each facility covered by paragraph (1) 
the following information: 
‘‘(A) The statistical information under subpara-
graph (A) of such paragraph. 
‘‘(B) How to contact the point of contact. 
‘‘(C) General information regarding how an in-
dividual (or the representative, attorney, or author-
ized agent of the individual) may receive information 
regarding the arrest, ticketing, detainment, use of 
force, or other police matters pertaining to that indi-
vidual by Department police officers at such facility 
(or by other Federal, State, or local law enforcement 
officers at the request of Department police offi-
cers), including with respect to any subsequent court 
proceedings.’’. 
(b) IMPROVED TRAINING.— 
(1) TRAINING.—The Secretary of Veterans Af-
fairs shall provide to Department police officers an-
nual training on— 
(A) recognizing, defining, understanding, 
and avoiding racial profiling and implicit bias 
and best practices regarding the duty to inter-
vene; and 
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(B) preventing suicide among the popu-
lation served by the police officers. 
(2) CURRICULUM.—In carrying out paragraph 
(1), the Secretary shall improve any similar training 
provided before the date of the enactment of this 
Act, including by ensuring that the curriculum for 
the training addresses, at a minimum, the following: 
(A) Effective behavioral science procedures 
for suicide prevention and risk mitigation. 
(B) Crisis intervention and de-escalation 
skills, including through the use of interactive 
training. 
(C) Information about mental health and 
substance abuse disorders. 
(D) Information about local law enforce-
ment crisis intervention teams and other re-
sources for veterans experiencing mental health 
crises available by the Department of Veterans 
Affairs, other elements of the Federal Govern-
ment, and the community in which the police 
officers serve. 
(3) CONSULTATION.—The Secretary shall en-
sure that the annual training provided under para-
graph (1) to Department police officers at a medical 
facility of the Department is provided in consulta-
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