I 
117TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 3950 
To amend the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to 
authorize a State veterans assistance program, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JUNE 16, 2021 
Ms. SCANLON (for herself and Mr. FITZPATRICK) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition 
to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, for a period to be subsequently 
determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provi-
sions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To amend the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets 
Act of 1968 to authorize a State veterans assistance 
program, 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 ‘‘Veterans Medical 
Legal Partnerships Act of 2021’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress makes the following findings: 
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(1) Medical-Legal Partnerships (hereinafter re-
ferred to as MLPs) are holistic care models that in-
tegrate legal expertise and services into health care 
settings or delivery systems to address underpinning 
social and legal needs that negatively affect the 
health outcomes of veterans and their families. 
(2) MLPs build upon the traditional legal clinic 
model by leveraging the unique, historical collabora-
tions between legal services organizations and med-
ical providers. 
(3) Among other things, MLPs screen for, and 
then aim to resolve legal issues veterans present, 
that may include income security issues, unsafe 
housing, impending evictions, family law matters, 
benefit concerns, elder abuse, and guardianship 
issues. Especially during the COVID–19 pandemic, 
these needs were also shown to have direct implica-
tion on population health and the stability of our 
economy. 
(4) In addition to providing direct legal serv-
ices, MLPs help to improve quality and increase 
value in health care delivery systems by engaging in 
activities such as trainings for clinical teams and 
helping health care providers optimize their services. 
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(5) MLPs have experienced steady growth and 
reach since they were first developed in the mid- 
1990s. In 2020 alone, some 450 MLPs in 49 States 
helped more than 75,000 individuals resolve health- 
harming legal needs. In recent years, MLPs have 
flourished as effective models of care for veterans. 
(6) Veterans are disproportionately at higher 
risk for health problems, many of which are exacer-
bated by unmet social and legal needs. The percent-
age of veterans who have at least one disability is 
double that of non-veterans, and 41 percent of vet-
erans have mental health conditions such as depres-
sion, traumatic brain injury, post-traumatic stress 
disorder (PTSD), and substance use disorder. 
(7) Veterans are also at higher risk of having 
legal issues, with one recent study finding an aver-
age of 1.5 legal issues per veteran. The most com-
mon civil legal needs included lack of access to VA 
benefits, custodial issues, and housing issues like 
eviction. Unmet legal needs are particularly harmful 
to the more than 1.7 million veterans with family in-
comes below 125 percent of Federal poverty level. In 
fact, a 2017 analysis found that civil legal problems 
related to veterans’ issues affected 13 percent of 
low-income households with veterans or other mili-
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tary personnel. For these households, the most com-
mon legal problems were in the areas of health or 
health care, consumer finance issues, and employ-
ment. 
(8) MLPs have proven to be a successful model 
of addressing issues related to veteran care. One 
study found that Veterans who received treatment at 
MLPs showed significant mental health improve-
ment and even improvements in their housing and 
income. Additionally, MLPs have been found to de-
crease readmission rates, length of inpatient hospital 
stays, and visits to the emergency room. 
(9) In Indiana, a 2018 grant from Indiana De-
partment of Veterans Affairs made possible an MLP 
between Veteran Health Indiana and Indiana Legal 
Services, Inc. and enabled veterans to access critical 
civil legal services they may not otherwise have re-
ceived. 
(10) A study assessed 4 MLPs in Connecticut 
and New York and found that 75 percent of vet-
erans reached their legal goal in the one-year study 
period, and in the first three months, those who re-
ceived full legal representation showed significant re-
ductions in symptoms of hostility, paranoia, psy-
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chosis, generalized anxiety disorder, and posttrau-
matic stress disorder. 
(11) In 2017, a study designed to evaluate an 
MLP at UMass Memorial Hospital found that pa-
tients referred by healthcare workers to Legal Aid 
commonly had other legal problems which the attor-
neys could also help them address and 86 percent of 
clients said they would use the program again. 
(12) Currently, the overwhelming majority of 
MLPs operate in Federal veteran’s facilities. States 
operate hundreds of veteran’s homes, treatment fa-
cilities, and support programs that do not have 
MLPs or access to civil legal providers. 
SEC. 3. STATE VETERANS PILOT GRANT PROGRAM. 
Subpart 2 of part E of the Omnibus Crime Control 
and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (34 U.S.C. 10171) is amend-
ed by inserting before chapter B the following new chap-
ter: 
‘‘CHAPTER A—STATE VETERANS JUSTICE 
ASSISTANCE PROGRAM 
‘‘SEC. 511. SHORT TITLE. 
‘‘This chapter may be cited as the ‘State Veterans 
Rehabilitation Program Act of 2021’ or the ‘SVets Act 
of 2021’. 
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‘‘SEC. 512. STATE VETERANS JUSTICE ASSISTANCE PRO-
GRAM. 
‘‘(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Attorney General shall 
make grants to eligible entities that have established or 
have plans to create medical legal partnerships that aim 
to reduce recidivism, promote rehabilitation and prevent 
victimization or partner with a State and unit of local gov-
ernment veteran facilities, including nursing homes, as-
sisted living facilities, long-term care facilities, healthcare 
facilities, and mental health clinics. The partnership shall 
focus on veterans whose medical needs put them at risk 
of recidivism or reoffending or becoming victim to a crime. 
‘‘(b) 
PRIORITIZATION.—The 
partnership 
shall 
prioritize veterans who, because of an associated health 
concern, are— 
‘‘(1) facing homelessness; 
‘‘(2) unemployment; or 
‘‘(3) or at risk of fraud, abuse, or other victim-
ization. 
‘‘(c) GRANT PERIOD.—A grant awarded under this 
chapter shall be for a period of not more than 5 years. 
‘‘(d) ELIGIBLE ENTITY.—An entity is eligible for a 
grant under this chapter if the entity is— 
‘‘(1) a unit of local government in partnership 
with a nonprofit organization; or 
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‘‘(2) a State in partnership with a nonprofit or-
ganization; 
that operates or demonstrates a plan to operate a medical 
legal partnership. 
‘‘(e) APPLICATION.—To receive a grant under this 
chapter, an eligible entity shall submit an application to 
the Attorney General at such time, in such manner, and 
containing such information as the Attorney General may 
require, including a detailed description of the need for 
the grant and an account of the number of individuals the 
eligible entity expects to benefit from the grant. 
‘‘(f) ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS.—Not more than 5 per-
cent of a grant awarded under this chapter may be used 
for costs incurred by the eligible entity to pay for adminis-
trative costs. 
‘‘(g) CONSTRUCTION COSTS.—Notwithstanding any 
other provision of this Act, no funds provided under this 
chapter may be used, directly or indirectly, for construc-
tion projects, other than new construction to accommodate 
a medical legal partnership and may not constitute more 
than 5 percent of a eligible entity’s grant award. 
‘‘(h) MEDICAL LEGAL PARTNERSHIP DEFINED.— 
The term ‘medical legal partnership’ means any State or 
unit of local government and nonprofit that screens and 
addresses legal issues for veterans, including legal issues 
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related to income security, housing, evictions, family law, 
public benefits, elder abuse, post-conviction relief, and 
guardianship. 
‘‘SEC. 513. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 
‘‘There is authorized to be appropriated $6,500,000 
for each of fiscal years 2022 through 2027 to carry out 
this chapter.’’. 
SEC. 4. STATE VETERANS PILOT JUSTICE ASSISTANCE PRO-
GRAM. 
Section 3 of the Veteran Treatment Court Coordina-
tion Act of 2019 (34 U.S.C. 10651a) is amended— 
(1) by redesignating subsections (c) and (d) as 
subsections (d) and (e), respectively; 
(2) by inserting the following new subsection: 
‘‘(c) PREFERENCE.—In awarding grants, the Attor-
ney General may provide a grant selection preference to 
jurisdictions that provide a plan to work with Federal or 
State medical legal partnerships to reduce recidivism and 
promote rehabilitation.’’; and 
(3) by adding at the end the following new sub-
section: 
‘‘(f) MEDICAL LEGAL PARTNERSHIP DEFINED.—The 
term ‘medical legal partnership’ has the meaning given 
such term in section 512 of the Omnibus Crime Control 
and Safe Streets Act of 1968.’’. 
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SEC. 5. VA MEDICAL LEGAL PARTNERSHIPS. 
Section 6304(b) of title 38, United States Code, is 
amended to read as follows: 
‘‘(b) MEDICAL LEGAL PARTNERSHIPS.—The Sec-
retary may establish and maintain medical legal partner-
ships to screen veterans for civil legal matters associated 
with the provision of health care or other benefits provided 
by the Department and facilitate the provision of no-cost 
legal services at Department facilities. 
‘‘(c) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
‘‘(1) MEDICAL
LEGAL
PARTNERSHIP.—The 
term ‘medical legal partnership’ means has the 
meaning given such term in section 512 of the Om-
nibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968. 
‘‘(2) CIVIL LEGAL MATTERS.—The term ‘civil 
legal matters’ means non-criminal legal matters, in-
cluding issues related to health care, housing, gov-
ernment benefits, employment, educational services, 
family law, post-conviction relief, and trusts and es-
tates.’’. 
Æ 
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