United States 115th Congress ✓ Enacted · P.L. 115-240 1 R cosponsors

HR 2147 — Veterans Treatment Court Improvement Act of 2018

Last action — Became Public Law No: 115-240.

  1. ✓
    Introduced
  2. ✓
    In Committee
  3. ✓
    Passed House
  4. ✓
    Passed Senate
  5. ✓
    To Executive
  6. 6
    Enacted

This bill has been enacted into law. Introduced April 26, 2017. Enacted.

Odds of enactment

High chance

Based on the sponsor, cosponsors, and committee posture, this bill has a high chance of becoming law.

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Prognosis

Advancing 52% · moderate confidence

  • Enacted

    Current position in the legislative process.

  • 1 sponsor

    1 primary, 0 co-sponsors signed on.

  • Single-party support

    Sponsorship is currently within one party (1 R).

Based on stage, sponsorship breadth, committee status, recorded votes, and cross-state momentum — a description of the observable signals, not a prediction.

Summary

Veterans Treatment Court Improvement Act of 2018 (Sec. 2) This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to hire at least 50 Veterans Justice Outreach Specialists under the Veterans Justice Outreach Program. Each of these specialists must serve as part of a justice team in a veterans treatment court or other veteran-focused court. A specialist hired under this bill must be placed at a VA medical center that: complies with VA guidelines for specialist placement, works within a local criminal justice system with justice-involved veterans, maintains an affiliation with one or more veterans treatment courts or other veteran-focused courts, and provides specialists or establishes a VA-approved plan to provide specialists to serve as part of a justice team. The VA shall prioritize the placement of these specialists at medical centers that have an affiliation with a court that was established after this bill's enactment or is not fully staffed with specialists. The Government Accountability Office shall report to Congress on the effectiveness of the Veterans Justice Outreach Program.

Bill Text

What changed in the latest version

110 added · 122 removed

Plain-language change summary

The amendment adds a note specifying the short title of the bill as the "Veterans Treatment Court Improvement Act of 2018." It also clarifies that the Secretary of Veterans Affairs is required to hire additional Veterans Justice Outreach Specialists to serve justice-involved veterans. This change emphasizes the focus on hiring specialists specifically for treatment court services, which may enhance support available for veterans involved in the justice system.

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[Congressional Bills 115th Congress] [From the U.S.
[115th Congress Public Law 240] [From the U.S.
Government Publishing Office] [H.R.
Government Publishing Office] VETERANS TREATMENT COURT IMPROVEMENT ACT OF 2018 [[Page 132 STAT.
2147 Placed on Calendar Senate (PCS)] <DOC> Calendar No.
2888]] Public Law 115-240 115th Congress An Act To require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to hire additional Veterans Justice Outreach Specialists to provide treatment court services to justice-involved veterans, and for other purposes.
466 115th CONGRESS 2d Session H.
<<NOTE:
R.
Sept.
2147 _______________________________________________________________________ IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES June 11, 2018 Received June 18, 2018 Read twice and placed on the calendar _______________________________________________________________________ AN ACT To require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to hire additional Veterans Justice Outreach Specialists to provide treatment court services to justice-involved veterans, and for other purposes.
17, - [H.R.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1.
2147]>> Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, <<NOTE:
Veterans Treatment Court Improvement Act of 2018.
38 USC 6303 note.>> SECTION 1.
(a) Hiring of Additional Veterans Justice Outreach Specialists.-- (1) In general.--Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall hire not fewer than 50 Veterans Justice Outreach Specialists and place each such Veterans Justice Outreach Specialist at an eligible Department of Veterans Affairs medical center in accordance with this section.
(a) Hiring of Additional Veterans Justice Outreach Specialists.-- (1) In general <<NOTE:
Deadline.>> .--Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall hire not fewer than 50 Veterans Justice Outreach Specialists and place each such Veterans Justice Outreach Specialist at an eligible Department of Veterans Affairs medical center in accordance with this section.
or (B) establishes a plan that is approved by the Secretary to provide Veterans Justice Outreach Specialists employed under subsection (a)(1) to serve as part of a justice team in a veterans treatment court or other veteran-focused court.
or (B) <<NOTE:
Plan.>> establishes a plan that is approved by the Secretary to provide Veterans Justice Outreach Specialists employed [[Page 132 STAT.
2889]] under subsection (a)(1) to serve as part of a justice team in a veterans treatment court or other veteran- focused court.
(2) Report by comptroller general of the united states.-- (A) In general.--Not later than 3 years after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States shall submit to Congress a report on the implementation of this section and the effectiveness of the Veterans Justice Outreach Program.
[[Page 132 STAT.
(B) Contents.--The report required by subparagraph (A) shall include the following:
2890]] (2) Report by comptroller general of the united states.-- (A) In general.--Not later than 3 years after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States shall submit to Congress a report on the implementation of this section and the effectiveness of the Veterans Justice Outreach Program.
(B) Contents <<NOTE:
Assessments.>> .--The report required by subparagraph (A) shall include the following:
(iv) Such recommendations as the Comptroller General may have for the Secretary to improve the effectiveness of the Veterans Justice Outreach Program.
(iv) <<NOTE:
Recommenda- tions.>> Such recommendations as the Comptroller General may have for the Secretary to improve the effectiveness of the Veterans Justice Outreach Program.
(1) Justice team.--The term ``justice team'' means the group of individuals, which may include a judge, court coordinator, prosecutor, public defender, treatment provider, probation or other law enforcement officer, program mentor, and Veterans Justice Outreach Specialist, who assist justice- involved veterans in a veterans treatment court or other veteran-focused court.
(1) Justice team.--The term ``justice team'' means the group of individuals, which may include a judge, court coordinator, prosecutor, public defender, treatment provider, probation or other law enforcement officer, program mentor, and Veterans Justice Outreach Specialist, who assist justice-involved veterans in a veterans treatment court or other veteran-focused court.
(6) 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.
[[Page 132 STAT.
2891]] (6) 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 (42 U.S.C.
Passed the House of Representatives June 13, 2018.
Approved September 17, 2018.
Attest:
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY--H.R.
KAREN L.
2147 (S.
HAAS, Clerk.
946):
Calendar No.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------- HOUSE REPORTS:
466 115th CONGRESS 2d Session H.
No.
R.
115-682 (Comm.
2147 _______________________________________________________________________ AN ACT To require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to hire additional Veterans Justice Outreach Specialists to provide treatment court services to justice-involved veterans, and for other purposes.
on Veterans' Affairs).
_______________________________________________________________________ June 18, 2018 Read twice and placed on the calendar
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol.
164 (2018):
June 13, considered and passed House.
Aug.
22, considered and passed Senate.
<all>
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Action History

  1. Introduced in House

  2. Introduced in House

  3. Referred to the Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs.

  4. Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs Discharged.

  5. Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.

  6. Referred to the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs.

  7. Subcommittee Hearings Held.

  8. Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.

  9. Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by Voice Vote.

  10. Subcommittee on Health Discharged.

  11. Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Veterans' Affairs. H. Rept. 115-682.

  12. Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Veterans' Affairs. H. Rept. 115-682.

  13. Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 525.

  14. Mr. Roe (TN) moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.

  15. Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H5133-5135)

  16. DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 2147.

  17. Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote.(text: CR H5133-5134)

  18. On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H5133-5134)

  19. Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.

  20. Received in the Senate.

  21. Read twice. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 466.

  22. Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent.(consideration: CR S5869)

  23. Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent. (consideration: CR S5869)

  24. Message on Senate action sent to the House.

  25. Presented to President.

  26. Presented to President.

  27. Signed by President.

  28. Signed by President.

  29. Became Public Law No: 115-240.

  30. Became Public Law No: 115-240.

Sponsors

Sponsorship breakdown

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1 sponsors · 0 co-sponsors · 546 not signed on

Sponsors (1)

Co-sponsors (0)

None.

Not signed on (546)

546 members have not signed on to this bill.

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"Not signed on" means a member has not sponsored or co-sponsored this bill — it does not imply opposition. Members flagged Voted No have a recorded No vote on this bill.

Whip count is in markup. Polling the chamber and every recorded vote this session. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Calling the roll · Tallying · Engrossing

Subjects

public-safety veterans
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Frequently asked questions

What does HR 2147 do?
Veterans Treatment Court Improvement Act of 2018 (Sec. 2) This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to hire at least 50 Veterans Justice Outreach Specialists under the Veterans Justice Outreach Program. Each of these specialists must serve as part of a justice team in a veterans treatment court or other veteran-focused court. A specialist hired under this bill must be placed at a VA medical center that: complies with VA guidelines for specialist placement, works within a local criminal justice system with justice-involved veterans, maintains an affiliation with one or more veterans treatment courts or other veteran-focused courts, and provides specialists or establishes a VA-approved plan to provide specialists to serve as part of a justice team. The VA shall prioritize the placement of these specialists at medical centers that have an affiliation with a court that was established after this bill's enactment or is not fully staffed with specialists. The Government Accountability Office shall report to Congress on the effectiveness of the Veterans Justice Outreach Program.
Who sponsors HR 2147?
HR 2147 is sponsored by Coffman, Mike (Republican).
What is the current status of HR 2147?
This bill has been enacted into law. Introduced April 26, 2017. Enacted.
Where can I track HR 2147?
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