VA Police Improvement and Accountability Act
Bill: H.R.2429 | Sponsor: Rep. Rice, Kathleen M. (D-NY)
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security

Summary:
VA Police Improvement and Accountability Act
This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to establish policies and procedures related to the accountability and staffing of its police force.
Specifically, the bill requires the VA to publish specified summaries, statistics, and contact information related to the activities of VA police officers from the previous five-year period. The VA must ensure that each of its police forces is able to provide VA employees and members of the public who contact the force with contact information to directly contact the police force regarding the arrest, ticketing, detainment, use of force, or other police matters pertaining to the individual.
The bill requires VA police officers to wear body cameras that record and store audio and video. Additionally, the VA's guidance on the use of body cameras must be made publicly available.
Under the bill, the VA is required to track and analyze the following information regarding its police force:
The VA must ensure each incident of the use of force is promptly reported to the Assistant Secretary with responsibility for operations, preparedness, security, and law enforcement functions. The Assistant Secretary must review and investigate each incident (including allegations) of the use of force by a VA police officer, including such situations where any person receives medical attention.
The VA must develop a plan that establishes minimum standards for police staffing at its facilities.

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.

    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 ``VA Police Improvement and 
Accountability Act''.

SEC. 2. IMPROVEMENTS TO TRANSPARENCY OF LAW ENFORCEMENT OPERATIONS OF 
              DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS.

    (a) Provision of 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 publish on the internet website of 
each facility of the Department the following information with respect 
to the facility:
            ``(A) Summaries and statistics covering the previous five-
        year period regarding--
                    ``(i) arrests made by and tickets issued by 
                Department police officers;
                    ``(ii) prosecutions, ticketing, and other actions 
                relating to such arrests;
                    ``(iii) the use of force and weapons discharge by 
                Department police officers; and
                    ``(iv) complaints, investigations, and disciplinary 
                actions regarding Department police officers.
            ``(B) Contact information for employees of the Department 
        and the public to directly contact the police force of the 
        facility, including for an individual (or the representative, 
        attorney, or authorized agent of the individual) to request 
        information regarding the arrest, ticketing, detainment, use of 
        force, or other police matters pertaining to that individual.
    ``(2) The Secretary shall ensure that each police force of a 
facility of the Department is able to provide to an individual who 
contacts the police force pursuant to paragraph (1)(B) the information 
described in such paragraph.''.
    (b) Use of Body Worn Cameras by Department Police Officers.--
            (1) Requirement.--Subsection (a) of such section 902 is 
        amended by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
    ``(3) Beginning not later than 180 days after the date of the 
enactment of this paragraph, the Secretary shall require Department 
police officers to use cameras worn on the individual police officer's 
person that record and store audio and video (commonly known as `body 
worn cameras').''.
            (2) Guidance.--Not later than one year after the date of 
        the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall issue, and make 
        publicly available, guidance on the use of body worn cameras by 
        Department police officers pursuant to section 902(a)(3) of 
        title 38, United States Code, as amended by paragraph (1).
            (3) Consultation.--The Secretary shall issue the guidance 
        under paragraph (2) in consultation with veterans service 
        organizations, civil rights organizations, law enforcement 
        organizations, law enforcement accreditation organizations, 
        privacy rights organizations, and other relevant organizations 
        or experts.
    (c) Data and Reporting on Police Incidents.--Section 902 of title 
38, United States Code, as amended by subsection (a), is further 
amended by adding at the end the following new subsection:
    ``(f) Police Incidents.--(1)(A) The Secretary shall track and 
analyze the following information regarding the police force of the 
Department:
                            ``(i) Arrests made by and tickets issued by 
                        Department police officers.
                            ``(ii) Prosecutions, ticketing, and other 
                        actions relating to such arrests.
                            ``(iii) The use of force and weapons 
                        discharge.
                            ``(iv) Complaints, investigations, and 
                        disciplinary actions.
    ``(B) The Secretary shall carry out subparagraph (A) by 
implementing one or more Department-wide data systems.
    ``(2)(A) Beginning not later than one year after the date of the 
enactment of this subsection, the Secretary shall ensure that each 
incident described in subparagraph (C) is promptly reported to the 
Assistant Secretary with responsibility for operations, preparedness, 
security, and law enforcement functions.
    ``(B) The Assistant Secretary shall, in a timely manner--
            ``(i) review each incident described in subparagraph (C)(i) 
        that is reported under subparagraph (A); and
            ``(ii) investigate each incident described in subparagraph 
        (C)(ii) that is reported under subparagraph (A).
    ``(C) An incident described in this subparagraph is either of the 
following:
            ``(i) An incident, including an allegation, of the use of 
        force by a Department police officer.
            ``(ii) An incident, including an allegation, of the use of 
        force by a Department police officer that results in any person 
        receiving medical attention.''.
    (d) Plan on Police Staffing.--The Secretary shall develop a plan 
that establishes minimum standards for police staffing at each facility 
of the Department, including with respect to--
            (1) the number of Department police officers assigned to 
        each facility; and
            (2) the pay grades for such officers.
    (e) Report on Implementation.--Not later than one year after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to the 
Committees on Veterans' Affairs of the House of Representatives and the 
Senate a report on the implementation of this section and the 
amendments made by this section. The report shall include the 
following:
            (1) With respect to the staffing needs of the Department 
        police force--
                    (A) identification of the amount of turnover among 
                Department police officers;
                    (B) how the compensation for Department police 
                officers affects such turnover;
                    (C) a comparison of such compensation with the 
                compensation provided to specialty police units, such 
                as police units at medical facilities and other police 
                units in the same locality pay area; and
                    (D) the plan developed under subsection (d), 
                including--
                            (i) estimates on the costs to carry out the 
                        plan; and
                            (ii) any recommendations for legislative 
                        actions required to carry out the plan.
            (2) With respect to body worn cameras, a review of the 
        implementation and use of body worn cameras by Department 
        police officers, including under pilot programs carried out by 
        the Secretary during the five-year period preceding the date of 
        the report.
    (f) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) The term ``body worn camera'' means a camera worn on an 
        individual police officer's person that records and stores 
        audio and video.
            (2) The term ``Department police officer'' means an 
        employee of the Department of Veterans Affairs described in 
        section 902(a) of title 38, United States Code.

            Passed the House of Representatives June 15, 2021.

            Attest:

                                             CHERYL L. JOHNSON,

                                                                 Clerk.