I 
114TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 731 
To reauthorize and improve the Mentally Ill Offender Treatment and Crime 
Reduction Act of 2004. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
FEBRUARY 4, 2015 
Mr. NUGENT (for himself, Mr. SCOTT of Virginia, Mrs. NAPOLITANO, Mr. 
RYAN of Ohio, Ms. SLAUGHTER, Mr. POCAN, Mrs. BROOKS of Indiana, 
Mr. LOWENTHAL, Mr. HASTINGS, Mr. JOYCE, Mr. REICHERT, Mr. SEN-
SENBRENNER, Mr. LANCE, and Mr. JOLLY) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary 
A BILL 
To reauthorize and improve the Mentally Ill Offender 
Treatment and Crime Reduction Act of 2004. 
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 ‘‘Justice and Mental 
Health Collaboration Act of 2015’’. 
SEC. 2. ASSISTING VETERANS. 
(a) REDESIGNATION.—Section 2991 of the Omnibus 
Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 
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3797aa) is amended by redesignating subsection (i) as 
subsection (l). 
(b) ASSISTING VETERANS.—Section 2991 of the Om-
nibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (42 
U.S.C. 3797aa) is amended by inserting after subsection 
(h) the following: 
‘‘(i) ASSISTING VETERANS.— 
‘‘(1) DEFINITIONS.—In this subsection: 
‘‘(A) PEER TO PEER SERVICES OR PRO-
GRAMS.—The term ‘peer to peer services or 
programs’ means services or programs that con-
nect qualified veterans with other veterans for 
the 
purpose 
of 
providing 
support 
and 
mentorship to assist qualified veterans in ob-
taining treatment, recovery, stabilization, or re-
habilitation. 
‘‘(B) QUALIFIED
VETERAN.—The term 
‘qualified veteran’ means a preliminarily quali-
fied offender who— 
‘‘(i) has served on active duty in any 
branch of the Armed Forces, including the 
National Guard and reserve components; 
and 
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‘‘(ii) was discharged or released from 
such service under conditions other than 
dishonorable. 
‘‘(C) VETERANS TREATMENT COURT PRO-
GRAM.—The term ‘veterans treatment court 
program’ means a court program involving col-
laboration among criminal justice, veterans, and 
mental health and substance abuse agencies 
that provides qualified veterans with— 
‘‘(i) intensive judicial supervision and 
case management, which may include ran-
dom and frequent drug testing where ap-
propriate; 
‘‘(ii) a full continuum of treatment 
services, including mental health services, 
substance abuse services, medical services, 
and services to address trauma; 
‘‘(iii) alternatives to incarceration; 
and 
‘‘(iv) other appropriate services, in-
cluding housing, transportation, mentoring, 
employment, job training, education, and 
assistance in applying for and obtaining 
available benefits. 
‘‘(2) VETERANS ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.— 
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‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The Attorney General, 
in consultation with the Secretary of Veterans 
Affairs, may award grants under this sub-
section to applicants to establish or expand— 
‘‘(i) veterans treatment court pro-
grams; 
‘‘(ii) peer to peer services or programs 
for qualified veterans; 
‘‘(iii) practices that identify and pro-
vide treatment, rehabilitation, legal, transi-
tional, and other appropriate services to 
qualified veterans who have been incarcer-
ated; and 
‘‘(iv) training programs to teach 
criminal justice, law enforcement, correc-
tions, mental health, and substance abuse 
personnel how to identify and appro-
priately respond to incidents involving 
qualified veterans. 
‘‘(B) 
PRIORITY.—In 
awarding 
grants 
under this subsection, the Attorney General 
shall give priority to applications that— 
‘‘(i) demonstrate collaboration be-
tween and joint investments by criminal 
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justice, mental health, substance abuse, 
and veterans service agencies; 
‘‘(ii) promote effective strategies to 
identify and reduce the risk of harm to 
qualified veterans and public safety; and 
‘‘(iii) propose interventions with em-
pirical support to improve outcomes for 
qualified veterans.’’. 
SEC. 3. CORRECTIONAL FACILITIES. 
Section 2991 of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe 
Streets Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 3797aa) is amended by 
inserting after subsection (i), as so added by section 2, 
the following: 
‘‘(j) CORRECTIONAL FACILITIES.— 
‘‘(1) DEFINITIONS.— 
‘‘(A) CORRECTIONAL FACILITY.—The term 
‘correctional facility’ means a jail, prison, or 
other detention facility used to house people 
who have been arrested, detained, held, or con-
victed by a criminal justice agency or a court. 
‘‘(B) ELIGIBLE INMATE.—The term ‘eligi-
ble inmate’ means an individual who— 
‘‘(i) is being held, detained, or incar-
cerated in a correctional facility; and 
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‘‘(ii) manifests obvious signs of a 
mental illness or has been diagnosed by a 
qualified mental health professional as hav-
ing a mental illness. 
‘‘(2) CORRECTIONAL
FACILITY
GRANTS.—The 
Attorney General may award grants to applicants to 
enhance the capabilities of a correctional facility— 
‘‘(A) to identify and screen for eligible in-
mates; 
‘‘(B) to plan and provide— 
‘‘(i) initial and periodic assessments of 
the clinical, medical, and social needs of in-
mates; and 
‘‘(ii) appropriate treatment and serv-
ices that address the mental health and 
substance abuse needs of inmates; 
‘‘(C) to develop, implement, and enhance— 
‘‘(i) post-release transition plans for 
eligible inmates that, in a comprehensive 
manner, coordinate health, housing, med-
ical, employment, and other appropriate 
services and public benefits; 
‘‘(ii) the availability of mental health 
care services and substance abuse treat-
ment services; and 
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‘‘(iii) alternatives to solitary confine-
ment and segregated housing and mental 
health screening and treatment for inmates 
placed in solitary confinement or seg-
regated housing; and 
‘‘(D) to train each employee of the correc-
tional facility to identify and appropriately re-
spond to incidents involving inmates with men-
tal health or co-occurring mental health and 
substance abuse disorders.’’. 
SEC. 4. ACADEMY TRAINING. 
Section 2991(h) of the Omnibus Crime Control and 
Safe Streets Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 3797aa(h)) is amend-
ed— 
(1) in paragraph (1), by adding at the end the 
following: 
‘‘(F) ACADEMY
TRAINING.—To provide 
support for academy curricula, law enforcement 
officer orientation programs, continuing edu-
cation training, and other programs that teach 
law enforcement personnel how to identify and 
respond to incidents involving persons with 
mental health disorders or co-occurring mental 
health and substance abuse disorders.’’; and 
(2) by adding at the end the following: 
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‘‘(4) PRIORITY CONSIDERATION.—The Attorney 
General, in awarding grants under this subsection, 
shall give priority to programs that law enforcement 
personnel and members of the mental health and 
substance abuse professions develop and administer 
cooperatively.’’. 
SEC. 5. EVIDENCE BASED PRACTICES. 
Section 2991(c) of the Omnibus Crime Control and 
Safe Streets Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 3797aa(c)) is amend-
ed— 
(1) in paragraph (3), by striking ‘‘or’’ at the 
end; 
(2) by redesignating paragraph (4) as para-
graph (6); and 
(3) by inserting after paragraph (3), the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(4) propose interventions that have been 
shown by empirical evidence to reduce recidivism; 
‘‘(5) when appropriate, use validated assess-
ment tools to target preliminarily qualified offenders 
with a moderate or high risk of recidivism and a 
need for treatment and services; or’’. 
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SEC. 6. SAFE COMMUNITIES. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 2991(a) of the Omnibus 
Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 
3797aa(a)) is amended— 
(1) in paragraph (7)— 
(A) in the heading, by striking ‘‘MENTAL 
ILLNESS’’ and inserting ‘‘MENTAL
ILLNESS; 
MENTAL HEALTH DISORDER’’; and 
(B) by striking ‘‘term ‘mental illness’ 
means’’ and inserting ‘‘terms ‘mental illness’ 
and ‘mental health disorder’ mean’’; and 
(2) by striking paragraph (9) and inserting the 
following: 
‘‘(9) PRELIMINARILY QUALIFIED OFFENDER.— 
‘‘(A) IN
GENERAL.—The term ‘prelimi-
narily qualified offender’ means an adult or ju-
venile accused of an offense who— 
‘‘(i)(I) previously or currently has 
been diagnosed by a qualified mental 
health professional as having a mental ill-
ness or co-occurring mental illness and 
substance abuse disorders; 
‘‘(II) manifests obvious signs of men-
tal illness or co-occurring mental illness 
and substance abuse disorders during ar-
rest or confinement or before any court; or 
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‘‘(III) in the case of a veterans treat-
ment court provided under subsection (i), 
has been diagnosed with, or manifests ob-
vious signs of, mental illness or a sub-
stance abuse disorder or co-occurring men-
tal illness and substance abuse disorder; 
and 
‘‘(ii) has been unanimously approved 
for participation in a program funded 
under this section by, when appropriate, 
the relevant— 
‘‘(I) prosecuting attorney; 
‘‘(II) defense attorney; 
‘‘(III) probation or corrections 
official; 
‘‘(IV) judge; and 
‘‘(V) a representative from the 
relevant mental health agency de-
scribed in subsection (b)(5)(B)(i). 
‘‘(B) DETERMINATION.—In determining 
whether to designate a defendant as a prelimi-
narily qualified offender, the relevant pros-
ecuting attorney, defense attorney, probation or 
corrections official, judge, and mental health or 
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substance abuse agency representative shall 
take into account— 
‘‘(i) whether the participation of the 
defendant in the program would pose a 
substantial risk of violence to the commu-
nity; 
‘‘(ii) the criminal history of the de-
fendant and the nature and severity of the 
offense for which the defendant is charged; 
‘‘(iii) the views of any relevant victims 
to the offense; 
‘‘(iv) the extent to which the defend-
ant would benefit from participation in the 
program; 
‘‘(v) the extent to which the commu-
nity would realize cost savings because of 
the defendant’s participation in the pro-
gram; and 
‘‘(vi) whether the defendant satisfies 
the eligibility criteria for program partici-
pation unanimously established by the rel-
evant prosecuting attorney, defense attor-
ney, probation or corrections official, judge 
and mental health or substance abuse 
agency representative.’’. 
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(b) TECHNICAL AND CONFORMING AMENDMENT.— 
Section 2927(2) of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe 
Streets Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 3797s–6(2)) is amended 
by striking ‘‘has the meaning given that term in section 
2991(a).’’ and inserting ‘‘means an offense that— 
‘‘(A) does not have as an element the use, 
attempted use, or threatened use of physical 
force against the person or property of another; 
or 
‘‘(B) is not a felony that by its nature in-
volves a substantial risk that physical force 
against the person or property of another may 
be used in the course of committing the of-
fense.’’. 
SEC. 7. REAUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 
Subsection (l) of section 2991 of the Omnibus Crime 
Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 3797aa), 
as redesignated in section 2(a), is amended— 
(1) in paragraph (1)— 
(A) in subparagraph (B), by striking 
‘‘and’’ at the end; 
(B) in subparagraph (C), by striking the 
period and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 
(C) by adding at the end the following: 
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‘‘(D) $40,000,000 for each of fiscal years 
2016 through 2020.’’; and 
(2) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(3) LIMITATION.—Not more than 20 percent 
of the funds authorized to be appropriated under 
this section may be used for purposes described in 
subsection (i) (relating to veterans).’’. 
Æ 
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