lysandra_m@hotmail.com
05-07-2009, 03:41 PM
Rep. Patrick Kennedy [D-RI]
Introduced Apr 28, 2009
To provide grants to establish veteran’s treatment courts.
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 ‘Services, Education, and Rehabilitation for Veterans Act’ or the ‘SERV Act’.
SEC. 2. VETERAN’S TREATMENT COURTS.
(a) Delegation- The Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy (referred to in this Act as the ‘Director’) shall delegate the authority to administer the program and other such activities necessary to carry out this Act to the Department of Justice.
(b) Grants- The Attorney General may make grants to States, State courts, local courts, units of local government, and Indian tribal governments acting directly or through agreements with other public or private entities, for the purpose of developing, implementing, or enhancing veteran’s treatment courts or expanding operational drug courts to serve veterans.
(c) Eligibility- Grants under this Act shall be made to veteran’s treatment courts and drug courts serving veterans that effectively integrate substance abuse treatment, mental health treatment, mandatory drug testing, sanctions and incentives, and transitional services, in a judicially supervised court setting with jurisdiction over nonviolent, substance-abusing offenders that have served in the United States military.
SEC. 3. GRANT AUTHORITY.
The Attorney General may make grants to States, State courts, local courts, units of local government, and Indian tribal governments, acting directly or through agreements with other public or private entities, for programs that involve--
(1) continuing judicial supervision over offenders with substance abuse or mental health problems who are not violent offenders and have served in the United States military; and
(2) the integrated administration of other sanctions and services, which shall include--
(A) mandatory periodic testing for the use of controlled substances or other addictive substances during any period of supervised release or probation for each participant;
(B) substance abuse and mental health treatment (such as treatment for depression and post-traumatic stress disorder) for each participant;
(C) diversion, probation, or other supervised release involving the possibility of prosecution, confinement, or incarceration based on noncompliance with program requirements or failure to show satisfactory progress; and
(D) programmatic, offender management, and aftercare services such as relapse prevention, health care, education, vocational training, job placement, housing placement, and child care or other family support services for each participant who requires such services.
SEC. 4. APPLICATIONS.
(a) In General- To request a grant under this Act, a State, State court, local court, unit of local government, or Indian tribal government shall submit an application to the Attorney General in such form and containing such information as the Attorney General may reasonably require.
(b) Applications- In addition to any other requirements that may be specified by the Attorney General, an application for a grant under this Act shall--
(1) include a long-term strategy and detailed implementation plan;
(2) explain the applicant’s inability to fund the program adequately without Federal assistance;
(3) certify that the Federal support provided will be used to supplement, and not supplant, State, Indian tribal, and local sources of funding that would otherwise be available;
(4) identify related governmental or community initiatives which complement or will be coordinated with the proposal;
(5) certify that there has been appropriate consultation with all affected agencies, specifically the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Health and Human Services, and that there will be appropriate coordination with all affected agencies in the implementation of the program;
(6) certify that participating offenders will be supervised by 1 or more designated judges with responsibility for the veteran’s treatment court program;
(7) specify plans for obtaining necessary support and continuing the proposed program following the conclusion of Federal support; and
(8) describe the methodology that will be used in evaluating the program.
(c) Certifications- Each such application shall contain the certification that the program for which the grant is requested shall meet each of the requirements of this Act.
Introduced Apr 28, 2009
To provide grants to establish veteran’s treatment courts.
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 ‘Services, Education, and Rehabilitation for Veterans Act’ or the ‘SERV Act’.
SEC. 2. VETERAN’S TREATMENT COURTS.
(a) Delegation- The Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy (referred to in this Act as the ‘Director’) shall delegate the authority to administer the program and other such activities necessary to carry out this Act to the Department of Justice.
(b) Grants- The Attorney General may make grants to States, State courts, local courts, units of local government, and Indian tribal governments acting directly or through agreements with other public or private entities, for the purpose of developing, implementing, or enhancing veteran’s treatment courts or expanding operational drug courts to serve veterans.
(c) Eligibility- Grants under this Act shall be made to veteran’s treatment courts and drug courts serving veterans that effectively integrate substance abuse treatment, mental health treatment, mandatory drug testing, sanctions and incentives, and transitional services, in a judicially supervised court setting with jurisdiction over nonviolent, substance-abusing offenders that have served in the United States military.
SEC. 3. GRANT AUTHORITY.
The Attorney General may make grants to States, State courts, local courts, units of local government, and Indian tribal governments, acting directly or through agreements with other public or private entities, for programs that involve--
(1) continuing judicial supervision over offenders with substance abuse or mental health problems who are not violent offenders and have served in the United States military; and
(2) the integrated administration of other sanctions and services, which shall include--
(A) mandatory periodic testing for the use of controlled substances or other addictive substances during any period of supervised release or probation for each participant;
(B) substance abuse and mental health treatment (such as treatment for depression and post-traumatic stress disorder) for each participant;
(C) diversion, probation, or other supervised release involving the possibility of prosecution, confinement, or incarceration based on noncompliance with program requirements or failure to show satisfactory progress; and
(D) programmatic, offender management, and aftercare services such as relapse prevention, health care, education, vocational training, job placement, housing placement, and child care or other family support services for each participant who requires such services.
SEC. 4. APPLICATIONS.
(a) In General- To request a grant under this Act, a State, State court, local court, unit of local government, or Indian tribal government shall submit an application to the Attorney General in such form and containing such information as the Attorney General may reasonably require.
(b) Applications- In addition to any other requirements that may be specified by the Attorney General, an application for a grant under this Act shall--
(1) include a long-term strategy and detailed implementation plan;
(2) explain the applicant’s inability to fund the program adequately without Federal assistance;
(3) certify that the Federal support provided will be used to supplement, and not supplant, State, Indian tribal, and local sources of funding that would otherwise be available;
(4) identify related governmental or community initiatives which complement or will be coordinated with the proposal;
(5) certify that there has been appropriate consultation with all affected agencies, specifically the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Health and Human Services, and that there will be appropriate coordination with all affected agencies in the implementation of the program;
(6) certify that participating offenders will be supervised by 1 or more designated judges with responsibility for the veteran’s treatment court program;
(7) specify plans for obtaining necessary support and continuing the proposed program following the conclusion of Federal support; and
(8) describe the methodology that will be used in evaluating the program.
(c) Certifications- Each such application shall contain the certification that the program for which the grant is requested shall meet each of the requirements of this Act.