[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3504 Introduced in House (IH)]
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118th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 3504
To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to submit to each of the
Committees on Veterans' Affairs of the Senate and the House of
Representatives an annual report regarding security at medical centers
of the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
May 18, 2023
Mrs. Kiggans of Virginia introduced the following bill; which was
referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to submit to each of the
Committees on Veterans' Affairs of the Senate and the House of
Representatives an annual report regarding security at medical centers
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 Medical Center Security Report
Act of 2023''.
SEC. 2. ANNUAL REVIEW OF SECURITY AT MEDICAL CENTERS OF THE DEPARTMENT
OF VETERANS AFFAIRS.
(a) Annual Survey.--Not later than one year after the date of the
enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter for each of the
following five years, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, in
coordination with the Director of the Office of Security and Law
Enforcement of the Department of Veterans Affairs, shall conduct an
annual survey of covered employees to collect information regarding
security at each medical center of the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Each annual survey shall include questions about--
(1) the type and frequency of criminal activity experienced
at the medical center during the 12 months prior to the date
the covered employee completes the survey;
(2) the number of vacant positions for Department police
officers at the medical center, and the number of days each
vacant position has been vacant;
(3) the availability and adequacy of covered equipment;
(4) the availability and adequacy of resources, classes, or
other time set aside for training Department police officers
who work at the medical center about any skill or tactic
related to law enforcement, including the proper use of force,
firearms qualifications and training, procedures for responding
to an active threat, and any other training required for
Department police officers;
(5) any security weakness;
(6) an analysis of the relationship between the medical
center (including the Department police officers who work at
the medical center) and local law enforcement agencies;
(7) efforts by the medical center personnel to address and
reduce criminal activity at, or in close proximity to, the
medical center; and
(8) recommendations for the Secretary to better address and
reduce criminal activity at, or in close proximity to, medical
centers.
(b) Report.--Not later than one year after the date of the
enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter for each of the
following five years, the Secretary shall submit to each of the
Committees on Veterans' Affairs of the Senate and the House of
Representatives an annual report regarding security at medical centers
of the Department of Veterans Affairs that includes--
(1) the results of the annual survey described under
subsection (a) for the year covered by the report;
(2) an analysis, made in coordination with the Director of
the Office of Security and Law Enforcement of such Department
and each director and police chief of a Veterans Integrated
Service Network, of the results of the annual survey described
under subsection (a) for the year covered by the report;
(3) a plan of action that describes how the Secretary plans
to address any security weakness identified in the results of
the annual survey and includes clearly stated goals with
measurable benchmarks for each goal and deadlines for each
benchmark; and
(4) a list of each vacant position for police chief or
deputy police chief at any such medical center, and the number
of days the position has been vacant.
(c) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) The term ``covered equipment'' means any item issued by
the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to a Department police
officer (including batons, firearms, pepper spray, ballistic
vests, body-worn cameras, and radios) for use in the provision
of services under section 902 of title 38, United States Code.
(2) The term ``covered employee'' means any employee of the
Department of Veterans Affairs who is employed at a medical
center of the Department of Veterans Affairs as a police chief,
a facility emergency management leader, a medical center
director, or a person carrying out the responsibilities of one
of these positions in an acting capacity.
(3) The term ``Department police officer'' has the meaning
given to such term under section 902 of title 38, United States
Code.
(4) The term ``security weakness'' means a deficiency in
the facilities, staffing, or covered equipment at a medical
center that a covered employee at the medical center determines
presents a risk to the safety of patients or staff, including
an unsecured door, inoperable security camera, unsecured police
operations room, a lack of security presence at an entrance to
the medical center, and a lack of security presence in an area
of the medical center or the grounds of the medical center that
the director of the medical center determines requires an
increased security presence.
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