[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3950 Introduced in House (IH)]
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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 provisions 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 Representatives 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:
(1) Medical-Legal Partnerships (hereinafter referred to as
MLPs) are holistic care models that integrate 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 collaborations between legal
services organizations and medical 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 implication on population health
and the stability of our economy.
(4) In addition to providing direct legal services, 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.
(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 exacerbated by unmet social
and legal needs. The percentage of veterans who have at least
one disability is double that of non-veterans, and 41 percent
of veterans have mental health conditions such as depression,
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 average of 1.5 legal
issues per veteran. The most common 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
incomes 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 military personnel. For these
households, the most common legal problems were in the areas of
health or health care, consumer finance issues, and employment.
(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
improvement and even improvements in their housing and income.
Additionally, MLPs have been found to decrease readmission
rates, length of inpatient hospital stays, and visits to the
emergency room.
(9) In Indiana, a 2018 grant from Indiana Department 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 received.
(10) A study assessed 4 MLPs in Connecticut and New York
and found that 75 percent of veterans reached their legal goal
in the one-year study period, and in the first three months,
those who received full legal representation showed significant
reductions in symptoms of hostility, paranoia, psychosis,
generalized anxiety disorder, and posttraumatic stress
disorder.
(11) In 2017, a study designed to evaluate an MLP at UMass
Memorial Hospital found that patients referred by healthcare
workers to Legal Aid commonly had other legal problems which
the attorneys 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 facilities, 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 amended by inserting before chapter B
the following new chapter:
``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'.
``SEC. 512. STATE VETERANS JUSTICE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.
``(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 government veteran facilities, including nursing homes,
assisted 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 victimization.
``(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
``(2) a State in partnership with a nonprofit organization;
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 percent of a grant
awarded under this chapter may be used for costs incurred by the
eligible entity to pay for administrative costs.
``(g) Construction Costs.--Notwithstanding any other provision of
this Act, no funds provided under this chapter may be used, directly or
indirectly, for construction 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 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 PROGRAM.
Section 3 of the Veteran Treatment Court Coordination 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 Attorney 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 subsection:
``(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.''.
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 Secretary may establish and
maintain medical legal partnerships 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 Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968.
``(2) Civil legal matters.--The term `civil legal matters'
means non-criminal legal matters, including issues related to
health care, housing, government benefits, employment,
educational services, family law, post-conviction relief, and
trusts and estates.''.
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