SERVICE Act of 2021
Bill: H.R.5788 | Sponsor: Rep. Salazar, Maria Elvira (R-FL)
Policy area: Crime and Law Enforcement

Summary:
Supporting Every at-Risk Veteran In Critical Emergencies Act of 2021 or the SERVICE Act of 2021
This bill authorizes the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services within the Department of Justice to make grants to support the creation and operation of veterans' response teams in state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies.

To authorize the Attorney General to make grants for the creation and 
 operation of veterans response teams within law enforcement agencies, 
                        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 ``Supporting Every at-Risk Veteran In 
Critical Emergencies Act of 2021'' or the ``SERVICE Act of 2021''.

SEC. 2. VETERAN RESPONSE TEAM PILOT PROGRAM.

    (a) Grant Authorization.--The Attorney General, acting through the 
Director of the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, is 
authorized to operate a pilot program to make grants to States, units 
of local government, and Indian Tribal governments, to support the 
creation and operation of veterans response teams in the law 
enforcement agencies of the jurisdiction, in accordance with subsection 
(b).
    (b) Grants To Develop Veterans Response Teams.--
            (1) Activities of a veterans response team.--A veterans 
        response team may include a program that does the following:
                    (A) Provides law enforcement officers who are 
                veterans with a pin that identifies the department of 
                the Armed Forces in which the officer served, which the 
                officer may wear while on duty.
                    (B) Uses the Veterans Re-Entry Search Service of 
                the Department of Veterans Affairs;
                    (C) Establishes a system of communication and 
                information sharing with the Department of Veterans 
                Affairs and other community resource agencies.
                    (D) Establishes a working relationship with the 
                Veterans Justice Outreach specialist.
                    (E) Establishes a working relationship with the 
                local justice system and veterans court, if applicable, 
                including identifying veterans upon entry into the 
                court system and local detention facility, with 
                notification to the local Department of Veterans 
                Affairs office for confirmation and appropriate 
                services.
                    (F) Provides training and education for law 
                enforcement officers on mental health issues related to 
                military service, such as post-traumatic stress 
                disorder, traumatic brain injury, depression, and 
                anxiety.
                    (G) Meets regularly to discuss issues veterans are 
                facing in the community, as well as suitable responses.
                    (H) Organizes coordinated and trained teams of 
                first responders to respond 24 hours per day, and 7 
                days per week, on a volunteer basis, to calls for 
                assistance involving a veteran in crisis.
                    (I) Develops a plan to--
                            (i) measure the success of veteran response 
                        teams; and
                            (ii) track nationwide best practices on how 
                        veterans response teams provide law enforcement 
                        officers with essential information during and 
                        following veteran-involved incidents to which 
                        veterans response teams respond.
                    (J) Offers veterans who have come into contact with 
                the veterans response team the opportunity to maintain 
                ongoing contact with the veterans response team.
            (2) Creation, hiring, and training of veterans response 
        team.--The creation of a veterans response team within a law 
        enforcement agency pursuant to a grant under this section may 
        include doing the following:
                    (A) Identifying a law enforcement officer in the 
                law enforcement agency who is passionate about and 
                committed to forming a veterans response team, and will 
                serve as the leader of such team.
                    (B) Identifying other law enforcement officers in 
                the law enforcement agency who are interested and 
                willing to participate on the veterans response team.
                    (C) Identifying and inviting interested community 
                members to join the veterans response team, which may 
                include members of veteran resource organizations, the 
                local office of the Department of Veterans Affairs, the 
                regional veterans justice outreach program, other law 
                enforcement agencies, fire and emergency medical 
                services departments, hospitals, social work agencies, 
                other entities within the justice system, nonprofit 
                organizations, and other appropriate entities.
                    (D) Immersing veterans response team members in the 
                veteran community by attending veterans events, 
                responding to incidents involving veterans, as 
                described in paragraph (1)(I), and making public 
                appearances to further engage with veterans.
                    (E) Providing training on veterans experiencing 
                crisis for individuals involved with the veterans 
                response team, and for other law enforcement officers 
                who are likely to come in contact with veterans.
    (c) Funding.--There is authorized to be appropriated $5,000,000 to 
carry out this section for each of fiscal years 2022 through 2026.
    (d) Termination.--The authority under this section shall terminate 
on the date that is 5 years after the date of the enactment of this 
section.
    (e) Reporting.--The Attorney General shall provide a report to 
Congress on the progress of the pilot program that includes the 
following:
            (1) The number of applicants.
            (2) The number of grants awarded.
            (3) The average grant amount sought by an applicant.
            (4) The average amount of a grant awarded.
            (5) Any other information that the Attorney General 
        determines to be appropriate.
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