Veterans Justice Outreach Improvement Act of 2021
Bill: S.3323 | Sponsor: Sen. Cramer, Kevin (R-ND)
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security

Summary:
Veterans Justice Outreach Improvement Act of 2021
The bill updates the Veterans Justice Outreach Program, which is a program through which the Department of Veterans Affairs (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.
Under the bill, the VA must 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 also develop a strategic plan for the program. In developing the plan, the VA must conduct (1) a workforce gap analysis for the program; and (2) an assessment of barriers to working with justice-involved veterans in rural, remote, and underserved areas.
The VA must increase the number of Veterans Justice Outreach specialists responsible for supporting justice-involved veterans in rural, remote, or underserved areas.
The bill requires the VA to establish performance goals and implementation plans for the program, Veterans Justice Outreach specialists, and for providing support for research regarding justice-involved veterans.
Finally, the VA must ensure all Veterans Justice Outreach specialists receive annual training 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 program.

To require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to make certain 
 improvements to the Veterans Justice Outreach Program, and for other 
                               purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Veterans Justice Outreach 
Improvement Act of 2021''.

SEC. 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) Strategic Plan.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall 
develop a strategic plan for the Veterans Justice Outreach Program. In 
developing such plan, the Secretary shall conduct--
            (1) an assessment of barriers to working with justice-
        involved veterans in rural, remote, and underserved areas, 
        including potential steps to address such barriers; and
            (2) a workforce gap analysis for the Program.
    (c) Increase in Number of VJO Specialists.--
            (1) Increase.--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 located far from 
        Department of Veterans Affairs medical centers, as determined 
        by the Secretary, through--
                    (A) the hiring of additional Veterans Justice 
                Outreach specialists;
                    (B) the reallocation of existing Veterans Justice 
                Outreach specialists; or
                    (C) such other means as may be determined 
                appropriate by the Secretary.
            (2) Determination.--The Secretary shall determine the 
        number of Veterans Justice Outreach specialists required, and 
        the locations of such specialists, under paragraph (1) by 
        taking into account--
                    (A) such number and locations needed to achieve the 
                mission and strategic goals of the Veterans Justice 
                Outreach Program;
                    (B) any gaps in the workforce of the Program, 
                including such gaps identified pursuant to subsection 
                (b)(2); and
                    (C) strategies to address such gaps.
            (3) Use of technology.--In carrying out paragraph (1), the 
        Secretary shall consider the use of virtual technology.
    (d) Performance Goals and Implementation Plans.--
            (1) Establishment.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall 
        establish performance goals and implementation plans for--
                    (A) the Veterans Justice Outreach Program;
                    (B) Veterans Justice Outreach Specialists; and
                    (C) providing support for research regarding 
                justice-involved veterans.
            (2) Consistency with strategic plan.--The Secretary shall 
        ensure that the performance goals and implementation plans 
        under paragraph (1) are consistent with the strategic plan 
        under subsection (b) and include--
                    (A) qualitative and quantitative milestones, 
                measures, and metrics, and associated timelines for 
                completion of the plans under paragraph (1) and 
                barriers to such completion;
                    (B) an identification of relevant staff; and
                    (C) an estimate of resource needs and sources.
            (3) Performance data.--The Secretary shall establish a 
        process to regularly collect and analyze performance data to 
        assess the efficiency and effectiveness of implementing the 
        plans under paragraph (1).
    (e) 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, including with respect to consistently communicating 
        changes regarding eligibility (including through the use of a 
        script or other reference materials).
    (f) Reports on Implementation.--
            (1) First 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 following:
                    (A) An assessment of implementing subsection (c), 
                including--
                            (i) strategies to increase Veterans Justice 
                        Outreach specialists responsible for supporting 
                        justice-involved veterans in rural, remote, or 
                        underserved areas; and
                            (ii) the progress of the Secretary in 
                        addressing gaps in the workforce of the 
                        Veterans Justice Outreach Program identified 
                        pursuant to paragraph (2) of such subsection.
                    (B) The performance goals and implementation plans 
                established under subsection (d)(1).
            (2) Subsequent report.--Not later than three years after 
        the date on which the first report is submitted under paragraph 
        (1), the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report on the 
        progress of the Secretary in meeting the performance goals and 
        carrying out activities under the implementation plans 
        established under subsection (d)(1).
    (g) Report on Veterans Treatment Courts.--Not later than one year 
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary, in 
consultation with the Attorney General, shall submit to Congress a 
report on the engagement of the Department of Veterans Affairs with 
veterans treatment courts, including--
            (1) the availability and efficacy of veterans treatment 
        courts in meeting the needs of justice-involved veterans;
            (2) best practices for Department of Veterans Affairs staff 
        and justice-involved veterans in working with veterans 
        treatment courts; and
            (3) the ability of justice-involved veterans to access 
        veterans treatment courts, including any barriers that exist to 
        increasing such access.
    (h) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Justice-involved veteran.--The term ``justice-involved 
        veteran'' means a veteran with active, ongoing, or recent 
        contact with some component of a local criminal justice system.
            (2) Veterans justice outreach program.--The term ``Veterans 
        Justice Outreach Program'' means the program through which the 
        Department of Veterans Affairs identifies justice-involved 
        veterans and provides such veterans with access to Department 
        services.
            (3) Veterans justice outreach specialist.--The term 
        ``Veterans Justice Outreach Specialist'' means an employee of 
        the Department of Veterans Affairs who serves as a liaison 
        between the Department and the local criminal justice system on 
        behalf of a justice-involved veteran.
            (4) Veterans treatment court.--The term ``veterans 
        treatment court'' means a State or local court that is 
        participating in the veterans treatment court program (as 
        defined in section 2991(i)(1) of the Omnibus Crime Control and 
        Safe Streets Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 3797aa(i)(1))).
                                 <all>