OFFICIALS LEGISLATION INTEREST GROUPS PUBLIC STATEMENTS COMMITTEES VETOES

Veterans Treatment Court Improvement Act of 2018

Floor Speech

By: Phil Roe
By: Phil Roe
Date: June 13, 2018
Location: Washington, DC
Issues: Veterans Legal

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Mr. ROE of Tennessee. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2147) 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, as amended.

The Clerk read the title of the bill.

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Mr. ROE of Tennessee. 2147, as amended.

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Mr. ROE of Tennessee. Madam Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may consume.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 2147, as amended, the Veterans Treatment Court Improvement Act of 2018.

This bill would require the Department of Veterans Affairs, VA, to hire at least 50 Veterans Justice Outreach specialists, also referred to as VJO specialists, to serve in a veterans treatment or other veteran-focused court.

VJO specialists provide direct outreach to and case management services for veterans who are involved in the local criminal justice system. They serve to protect some of our most vulnerable veterans from unnecessary criminalization and incarceration by working with law enforcement and the courts to identify service-related mental health or substance abuse issues that may be underlying criminal behavior among veterans, and to link veterans with treatment they need from the VA to recover and become fully functional and contributing members of society.

This bill is sponsored by Congressman Mike Coffman of Colorado. Mr. Coffman is a senior member of the Veterans' Affairs Committee and a tireless advocate for service members, veterans, and their families.

Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for his leadership on this bill, and I urge all of our colleagues to join me in supporting this.

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Mr. ROE of Tennessee. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Coffman), both an Army and Marine veteran, my good friend and the sponsor of this bill.

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Mr. ROE of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I am prepared to close. I reserve the balance of my time.
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Mr. ROE of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, once again, I encourage all Members to support H.R. 2147, as amended, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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