text: SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
  
      This Act may be cited as the ``Veterans Justice Outreach Act of 
  2015''.
  
  SEC. 2. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS PROGRAM OF COORDINATED OUTREACH 
                FOR JUSTICE-INVOLVED VETERANS AT RISK OF HOMELESSNESS.
  
      (a) Program Required.--
              (1) In general.--Subchapter III of chapter 20 of title 38, 
          United States Code, is amended--
                      (A) by redesignating sections 2022 and 2023 as 
                  sections 2023 and 2024, respectively; and
                      (B) by inserting after section 2021A the following 
                  new section 2022:
  ``Sec. 2022. Coordination of outreach for justice-involved veterans at 
                risk of homelessness
      ``(a) Program Required.--The Secretary shall carry out a program to 
  support veterans in contact with the criminal justice system by 
  discouraging unnecessary criminalization of mental illness and other 
  nonviolent crimes.
      ``(b) Partnership.--The Secretary shall carry out the program 
  required by subsection (a) in partnership with local law enforcement, 
  judicial, and community-based treatment and legal assistance 
  organizations.
      ``(c) Authorized Activities.--In carrying out the program required 
  by subsection (a), the Secretary may conduct the following:
              ``(1) Training for police, prosecutors, courts, public 
          defenders, and other community-based support organizations on 
          matters relating to psychological trauma associated with 
          military service and mental health and substance abuse services 
          available from the Department.
              ``(2) Support for courts and their officers, including 
          physical presence in the courtroom setting, by facilitating 
          mental health assessments, treatment planning, referrals to 
          Department services, or such other services as may be requested 
          by the courts.
              ``(3) Such other outreach and assistance as the Secretary 
          considers appropriate for the provision of support described in 
          subsection (a).
      ``(d) Justice Outreach Coordinators.--(1) In order to effectively 
  assist veterans in contact with the criminal justice system, the 
  Secretary shall establish coordinators to provide outreach under the 
  program required by subsection (a).
      ``(2) The Secretary shall ensure that each coordinator established 
  under paragraph (1) is knowledgeable about psychological and 
  psychiatric evaluation in relation to justice-based forensic matters, 
  such as--
              ``(A) psychiatric diagnosis;
              ``(B) developmental disabilities;
              ``(C) medical issues, such as traumatic brain injury;
              ``(D) competency and sanity;
              ``(E) neglect and abuse;
              ``(F) parental rights; and
              ``(G) life threatening issues, such as suicidality and 
          homicidally.
      ``(e) Veteran in Contact With the Criminal Justice System 
  Defined.--In this section, the term `veteran in contact with the 
  criminal justice system' includes the following:
              ``(1) A veteran in contact with local law enforcement who 
          can be appropriately diverted from arrest to mental health 
          treatment.
              ``(2) A veteran in local jail either pretrial or serving a 
          sentence.
              ``(3) A veteran in adjudication or monitoring by a 
          court.''.
              (2) Conforming amendment.--Section 2023(f) of such title, 
          as redesignated by paragraph (1)(A), is amended in paragraphs 
          (2)(C) and (3)(C) by striking ``section 2023'' both places it 
          appears and inserting ``section 2024''.
              (3) Clerical amendment.--The table of sections at the 
          beginning of chapter 20 of such title is amended by striking 
          the items relating to sections 2022 and 2023 and inserting the 
          following new items:
  
  ``2022. Coordination of outreach for justice-involved veterans at risk 
                              of homelessness.
  ``2023. Coordination of outreach services for veterans at risk of 
                              homelessness.
  ``2024. Referral and counseling services: veterans at risk of 
                              homelessness who are transitioning from 
                              certain institutions.''.
      (b) Report.--
              (1) In general.--Not later than 180 days after the date of 
          the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs 
          shall submit to Congress a report on the program carried out 
          under section 2022(a) of such title, as added by subsection 
          (a)(1).
              (2) Contents.--The report submitted under paragraph (1) 
          shall include an assessment of the following:
                      (A) The number of coordinators established under 
                  section 2022(d)(1) of such title, as added by 
                  subsection (a)(1).
                      (B) The training of such coordinators.
                      (C) The capabilities of such coordinators.
                      (D) The capacity of the program carried out under 
                  section 2022(a) of such title, as so added, to meet the 
                  demand of veterans and courts for services under the 
                  program.
target: Veterans Justice Outreach Act of 2015 This bill directs the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to carry out a program to support veterans in contact with the criminal justice system by discouraging unnecessary criminalization of mental illness and other nonviolent crimes.  The program shall be carried out in partnership with local law enforcement, judicial, and community-based treatment and legal assistance organizations.   The VA shall establish coordinators to provide program outreach.
feat_title: Veterans Justice Outreach Act of 2015