Servicemembers and Veterans Initiative Act of 2020

Bill: 116-hr-8354
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Escobar, Veronica [D-TX-16]
Introduced: 2020-09-23
Policy area: Civil Rights and Liberties, Minority Issues
Subjects: Criminal investigation, prosecution, interrogation

Department of Justice

Executive agency funding and structure

Fraud offenses and financial crimes

Intergovernmental relations

Lawyers and legal services

Military personnel and dependents

Veterans' organizations and recognition
Latest action: action_date: 2021-01-05
text: Became Public Law No: 116-288.

Summaries:
action_date: 2020-09-23
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p><b>Servicemembers and Veterans Initiative Act of 2020</b></p> <p>This bill establishes the Servicemembers and Veterans Initiative within the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice (DOJ).</p> <p>The initiative shall, among other things</p> <ul> <li>serve as legal and policy advisor on DOJ's efforts to enforce criminal and civil laws that impact service members, veterans, and their families;</li> <li>develop policy recommendations for improved enforcement of federal law to support service members, veterans, and their families;</li> <li>serve as the liaison and point of contact between DOJ and the military departments;</li> <li> provide counsel for the Office of Justice Programs to ensure that funding decisions take into account service members, veterans, and their families; and</li> <li>enforce federal laws that protect service members and veterans.</li> </ul>

action_date: 2020-12-07
action_desc: Reported to House
text: <p><b>Servicemembers and Veterans Initiative Act of 2020</b></p> <p>This bill establishes the Servicemembers and Veterans Initiative within the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice (DOJ).</p> <p>The initiative shall, among other things</p> <ul> <li>serve as legal and policy advisor on DOJ's efforts to enforce criminal and civil laws that impact service members, veterans, and their families;</li> <li>develop policy recommendations for improved enforcement of federal law to support service members, veterans, and their families;</li> <li>serve as the liaison and point of contact between DOJ and the military departments;</li> <li> provide counsel for the Office of Justice Programs to ensure that funding decisions take into account service members, veterans, and their families; and</li> <li>enforce federal laws that protect service members and veterans.</li> </ul>

action_date: 2020-12-08
action_desc: Passed House
text: <p><b>Servicemembers and Veterans Initiative Act of 2020</b></p> <p>This bill establishes the Servicemembers and Veterans Initiative within the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice (DOJ).</p> <p>The initiative shall</p> <ul> <li>serve as legal and policy advisor on DOJ's efforts to enforce criminal and civil laws that impact service members, veterans, and their families;</li> <li>develop policy recommendations for improved enforcement of federal law to support service members, veterans, and their families;</li> <li>serve as the liaison and point of contact between DOJ and the military departments;</li> <li> provide counsel for the Office of Justice Programs to ensure that funding decisions take into account service members, veterans, and their families; </li> <li>serve as a liaison and point of contact with the Consumer Protection Branch of DOJ's Civil Division with respect to the prosecution of federal crimes involving fraud that target service members; and</li> <li>serve as a liaison and point of contact with other DOJ components as needed to support the enforcement of other federal laws that protect service members and veterans.</li> </ul>

action_date: 2020-12-15
action_desc: Passed Senate
text: <p><b>Servicemembers and Veterans Initiative Act of 2020</b></p> <p>This bill establishes the Servicemembers and Veterans Initiative within the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice (DOJ).</p> <p>The initiative shall</p> <ul> <li>serve as legal and policy advisor on DOJ's efforts to enforce criminal and civil laws that impact service members, veterans, and their families;</li> <li>develop policy recommendations for improved enforcement of federal law to support service members, veterans, and their families;</li> <li>serve as the liaison and point of contact between DOJ and the military departments;</li> <li> provide counsel for the Office of Justice Programs to ensure that funding decisions take into account service members, veterans, and their families; </li> <li>serve as a liaison and point of contact with the Consumer Protection Branch of DOJ's Civil Division with respect to the prosecution of federal crimes involving fraud that target service members; and</li> <li>serve as a liaison and point of contact with other DOJ components as needed to support the enforcement of other federal laws that protect service members and veterans.</li> </ul>

action_date: 2021-01-05
action_desc: Public Law
text: <p><b>Servicemembers and Veterans Initiative Act of 2020</b></p> <p>This bill establishes the Servicemembers and Veterans Initiative within the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice (DOJ).</p> <p>The initiative shall</p> <ul> <li>serve as legal and policy advisor on DOJ's efforts to enforce criminal and civil laws that impact service members, veterans, and their families;</li> <li>develop policy recommendations for improved enforcement of federal law to support service members, veterans, and their families;</li> <li>serve as the liaison and point of contact between DOJ and the military departments;</li> <li> provide counsel for the Office of Justice Programs to ensure that funding decisions take into account service members, veterans, and their families; </li> <li>serve as a liaison and point of contact with the Consumer Protection Branch of DOJ's Civil Division with respect to the prosecution of federal crimes involving fraud that target service members; and</li> <li>serve as a liaison and point of contact with other DOJ components as needed to support the enforcement of other federal laws that protect service members and veterans.</li> </ul>

tv_txt: I 116th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 8354 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES September 23, 2020 Ms. Escobar (for herself and Mr. Taylor ) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary A BILL To establish the Servicemembers and Veterans Initiative within the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Servicemembers and Veterans Initiative Act of 2020. 2. Servicemembers and veterans initiative (a) Establishment There is established the Servicemembers and Veterans Initiative within the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice. (b) Duties The Servicemembers and Veterans Initiative shall— (1) serve as legal and policy advisor to the Attorney General on the Department of Justice’s efforts to enforce criminal and civil laws that impact servicemembers, veterans, and their families; (2) develop policy recommendations for the Attorney General on how the Department of Justice may improve enforcement of Federal law to support servicemembers, veterans, and their families; (3) serve as the liaison and point of contact between the Department of Justice and the military departments; (4) provide counsel to the Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Justice Programs to ensure funding decisions take into account servicemembers, veterans, and their families; (5) consult with components of the Department of Justice to promote the provision of civil legal aid to servicemembers, veterans, and their families; (6) serve as a liaison with the Assistant Attorney General for the Criminal Division to coordinate the prosecution of Federal crimes involving fraud that target servicemembers; and (7) enforce other Federal laws that protect servicemembers and veterans, as the Attorney General determines appropriate.

tv_txt: I One Hundred Sixteenth Congress of the United States of America At the Second Session Begun and held at the City of Washington on Friday, the third day of January, two thousand and twenty H. R. 8354 AN ACT To establish the Servicemembers and Veterans Initiative within the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Servicemembers and Veterans Initiative Act of 2020 . 2. Servicemembers and veterans initiative (a) Establishment There is established the Servicemembers and Veterans Initiative within the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice. (b) Duties The Servicemembers and Veterans Initiative shall— (1) serve as legal and policy advisor to the Attorney General on the Department of Justice’s efforts to enforce criminal and civil laws that impact servicemembers, veterans, and their families; (2) develop policy recommendations for the Attorney General on how the Department of Justice may improve enforcement of Federal law to support servicemembers, veterans, and their families; (3) serve as the liaison and point of contact between the Department of Justice and the military departments; (4) provide counsel to the Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Justice Programs to ensure funding decisions take into account servicemembers, veterans, and their families; (5) consult with components of the Department of Justice to promote the provision of civil legal aid to servicemembers, veterans, and their families; (6) serve as a liaison and point of contact with the Consumer Protection Branch of the Civil Division of the Department of Justice, with respect to the prosecution of Federal crimes involving fraud that target servicemembers; and (7) serve as a liaison and point of contact with other components of the Department of Justice as needed to support the enforcement of other Federal laws that protect servicemembers and veterans, as the Attorney General determines appropriate.

Speaker of the House of Representatives. Vice President of the United States and President of the Senate.

tv_txt: I 116th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 8354 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES AN ACT To establish the Servicemembers and Veterans Initiative within the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Servicemembers and Veterans Initiative Act of 2020 . 2. Servicemembers and veterans initiative (a) Establishment There is established the Servicemembers and Veterans Initiative within the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice. (b) Duties The Servicemembers and Veterans Initiative shall— (1) serve as legal and policy advisor to the Attorney General on the Department of Justice’s efforts to enforce criminal and civil laws that impact servicemembers, veterans, and their families; (2) develop policy recommendations for the Attorney General on how the Department of Justice may improve enforcement of Federal law to support servicemembers, veterans, and their families; (3) serve as the liaison and point of contact between the Department of Justice and the military departments; (4) provide counsel to the Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Justice Programs to ensure funding decisions take into account servicemembers, veterans, and their families; (5) consult with components of the Department of Justice to promote the provision of civil legal aid to servicemembers, veterans, and their families; (6) serve as a liaison and point of contact with the Consumer Protection Branch of the Civil Division of the Department of Justice, with respect to the prosecution of Federal crimes involving fraud that target servicemembers; and (7) serve as a liaison and point of contact with other components of the Department of Justice as needed to support the enforcement of other Federal laws that protect servicemembers and veterans, as the Attorney General determines appropriate.

Passed the House of Representatives December 8, 2020. Cheryl L. Johnson, Clerk.

tv_txt: II 116th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 8354 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES December 9, 2020 Received AN ACT To establish the Servicemembers and Veterans Initiative within the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Servicemembers and Veterans Initiative Act of 2020 . 2. Servicemembers and veterans initiative (a) Establishment There is established the Servicemembers and Veterans Initiative within the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice. (b) Duties The Servicemembers and Veterans Initiative shall— (1) serve as legal and policy advisor to the Attorney General on the Department of Justice’s efforts to enforce criminal and civil laws that impact servicemembers, veterans, and their families; (2) develop policy recommendations for the Attorney General on how the Department of Justice may improve enforcement of Federal law to support servicemembers, veterans, and their families; (3) serve as the liaison and point of contact between the Department of Justice and the military departments; (4) provide counsel to the Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Justice Programs to ensure funding decisions take into account servicemembers, veterans, and their families; (5) consult with components of the Department of Justice to promote the provision of civil legal aid to servicemembers, veterans, and their families; (6) serve as a liaison and point of contact with the Consumer Protection Branch of the Civil Division of the Department of Justice, with respect to the prosecution of Federal crimes involving fraud that target servicemembers; and (7) serve as a liaison and point of contact with other components of the Department of Justice as needed to support the enforcement of other Federal laws that protect servicemembers and veterans, as the Attorney General determines appropriate.

Passed the House of Representatives December 8, 2020. Cheryl L. Johnson, Clerk.

tv_txt: IB Union Calendar No. 507 116th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 8354 [Report No. 116–618] IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES September 23, 2020 Ms. Escobar (for herself and Mr. Taylor ) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary December 7, 2020 Additional sponsors: Mr. Cicilline , Ms. Garcia of Texas , Mr. Chabot , Mr. Correa , Mr. Nadler , and Mr. Neguse December 7, 2020 Reported from the Committee on the Judiciary ; committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union and ordered to be printed A BILL To establish the Servicemembers and Veterans Initiative within the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Servicemembers and Veterans Initiative Act of 2020. 2. Servicemembers and veterans initiative (a) Establishment There is established the Servicemembers and Veterans Initiative within the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice. (b) Duties The Servicemembers and Veterans Initiative shall— (1) serve as legal and policy advisor to the Attorney General on the Department of Justice’s efforts to enforce criminal and civil laws that impact servicemembers, veterans, and their families; (2) develop policy recommendations for the Attorney General on how the Department of Justice may improve enforcement of Federal law to support servicemembers, veterans, and their families; (3) serve as the liaison and point of contact between the Department of Justice and the military departments; (4) provide counsel to the Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Justice Programs to ensure funding decisions take into account servicemembers, veterans, and their families; (5) consult with components of the Department of Justice to promote the provision of civil legal aid to servicemembers, veterans, and their families; (6) serve as a liaison with the Assistant Attorney General for the Criminal Division to coordinate the prosecution of Federal crimes involving fraud that target servicemembers; and (7) enforce other Federal laws that protect servicemembers and veterans, as the Attorney General determines appropriate.

December 7, 2020 Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union and ordered to be printed