VA Medical Center Security Report Act of 2023

I 118TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. R. 3504 To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to submit to each of the Commit- tees 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 Sen- ate 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 Representa- 1 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 3 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘VA Medical Center 4 Security Report Act of 2023’’. 5 VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:59 Jun 06, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3504.IH H3504 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 2 •HR 3504 IH SEC. 2. ANNUAL REVIEW OF SECURITY AT MEDICAL CEN- 1 TERS OF THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS 2 AFFAIRS. 3 (a) ANNUAL SURVEY.—Not later than one year after 4 the date of the enactment of this Act, and annually there- 5 after for each of the following five years, the Secretary 6 of Veterans Affairs, in coordination with the Director of 7 the Office of Security and Law Enforcement of the De- 8 partment of Veterans Affairs, shall conduct an annual sur- 9 vey of covered employees to collect information regarding 10 security at each medical center of the Department of Vet- 11 erans Affairs. Each annual survey shall include questions 12 about— 13 (1) the type and frequency of criminal activity 14 experienced at the medical center during the 12 15 months prior to the date the covered employee com- 16 pletes the survey; 17 (2) the number of vacant positions for Depart- 18 ment police officers at the medical center, and the 19 number of days each vacant position has been va- 20 cant; 21 (3) the availability and adequacy of covered 22 equipment; 23 (4) the availability and adequacy of resources, 24 classes, or other time set aside for training Depart- 25 ment police officers who work at the medical center 26 VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:59 Jun 06, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3504.IH H3504 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 3 •HR 3504 IH about any skill or tactic related to law enforcement, 1 including the proper use of force, firearms qualifica- 2 tions and training, procedures for responding to an 3 active threat, and any other training required for 4 Department police officers; 5 (5) any security weakness; 6 (6) an analysis of the relationship between the 7 medical center (including the Department police offi- 8 cers who work at the medical center) and local law 9 enforcement agencies; 10 (7) efforts by the medical center personnel to 11 address and reduce criminal activity at, or in close 12 proximity to, the medical center; and 13 (8) recommendations for the Secretary to better 14 address and reduce criminal activity at, or in close 15 proximity to, medical centers. 16 (b) REPORT.—Not later than one year after the date 17 of the enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter for 18 each of the following five years, the Secretary shall submit 19 to each of the Committees on Veterans’ Affairs of the Sen- 20 ate and the House of Representatives an annual report 21 regarding security at medical centers of the Department 22 of Veterans Affairs that includes— 23 VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:59 Jun 06, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3504.IH H3504 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 4 •HR 3504 IH (1) the results of the annual survey described 1 under subsection (a) for the year covered by the re- 2 port; 3 (2) an analysis, made in coordination with the 4 Director of the Office of Security and Law Enforce- 5 ment of such Department and each director and po- 6 lice chief of a Veterans Integrated Service Network, 7 of the results of the annual survey described under 8 subsection (a) for the year covered by the report; 9 (3) a plan of action that describes how the Sec- 10 retary plans to address any security weakness identi- 11 fied in the results of the annual survey and includes 12 clearly stated goals with measurable benchmarks for 13 each goal and deadlines for each benchmark; and 14 (4) a list of each vacant position for police chief 15 or deputy police chief at any such medical center, 16 and the number of days the position has been va- 17 cant. 18 (c) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 19 (1) The term ‘‘covered equipment’’ means any 20 item issued by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to 21 a Department police officer (including batons, fire- 22 arms, pepper spray, ballistic vests, body-worn cam- 23 eras, and radios) for use in the provision of services 24 under section 902 of title 38, United States Code. 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:59 Jun 06, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3504.IH H3504 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 5 •HR 3504 IH (2) The term ‘‘covered employee’’ means any 1 employee of the Department of Veterans Affairs who 2 is employed at a medical center of the Department 3 of Veterans Affairs as a police chief, a facility emer- 4 gency management leader, a medical center director, 5 or a person carrying out the responsibilities of one 6 of these positions in an acting capacity. 7 (3) The term ‘‘Department police officer’’ has 8 the meaning given to such term under section 902 9 of title 38, United States Code. 10 (4) The term ‘‘security weakness’’ means a defi- 11 ciency in the facilities, staffing, or covered equip- 12 ment at a medical center that a covered employee at 13 the medical center determines presents a risk to the 14 safety of patients or staff, including an unsecured 15 door, inoperable security camera, unsecured police 16 operations room, a lack of security presence at an 17 entrance to the medical center, and a lack of secu- 18 rity presence in an area of the medical center or the 19 grounds of the medical center that the director of 20 the medical center determines requires an increased 21 security presence. 22 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:59 Jun 06, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\H3504.IH H3504 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB