[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3323 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
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117th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 3323
To require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to make certain
improvements to the Veterans Justice Outreach Program, and for other
purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
December 7, 2021
Mr. Cramer (for himself and Mr. Blumenthal) introduced the following
bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans'
Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
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))).
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