Get Justice-Involved Veterans BACK HOME Act
- Bill Number
- H.R. 8044
- Origin Chamber
- House
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 2
- Policy Area
- Armed Forces and National Security
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2026-05-20: Committee Hearings Held
- Last Updated
- 2026-06-26T08:06:52Z
AI-Generated Summary
Purpose
This bill aims to enhance mental health services, housing, financial support, and data collection for incarcerated veterans by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Bureau of Prisons (BOP), and other agencies, prioritizing those with service-related conditions like post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), traumatic brain injury (TBI), or military sexual trauma.
Key Provisions
- Pilot Program for Mental Health Care (Sec. 2):
- VA must run a pilot at least 5 facilities (mix of large/small, urban/rural) with existing veteran housing units.
- Priority for veterans with PTSD, TBI, or military sexual trauma.
- Services: Telemental health (remote video care) if infrastructure allows; otherwise, mobile VA or Vet Center units or other methods. No copays charged.
- Uses only VA-employed providers (not contractors); they focus on treatment, not disability claims. Creates a dedicated "hub" of providers just for incarcerated veterans, separate from regular VA facilities.
- Coordinates with state/federal prison agencies; overrides current law restricting VA care to incarcerated veterans.
- Separate Housing Units (Sec. 3):
- Requires BOP to create dedicated veteran wards or units in federal prisons where feasible, designed for discipline, peer support, mental health treatment, and rehab.
- Prison staff get VA-coordinated training; resources and programs tailored to veterans.
- If not feasible, implement veteran-focused programs with VA oversight.
- Automatic Resumption of VA Benefits (Sec. 4):
- VA compensation or dependency/indemnity compensation (payments to veterans or families for service-related disabilities/deaths) automatically restarts upon release from felony incarceration (currently interrupted during prison).
- Survey and Reporting on Incarcerated Veterans (Sec. 5):
- Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) must collect/analyze data on incarcerated veterans in national surveys.
- Annual reports to Congress starting 180 days after enactment.
Significant Changes to Existing Law
- Overrides VA restriction (38 USC §1710(h)) barring mental health care for incarcerated veterans.
- Adds new BOP requirement for veteran housing/programs (new 18 USC §4015).
- Automates benefit resumption post-incarceration (amends 38 USC §5313(a)).
- Expands BJS surveys/reports (amends 34 USC §10132) to include veteran-specific incarceration data.
Potential Impacts
- Government Agencies: Increases workload/costs for VA (pilot, hub, coordination), BOP (housing/programs/training), and BJS (data collection/reporting).
- Citizens (Veterans): Better access to mental health care, housing, and benefits resumption, potentially reducing recidivism and improving rehab for ~tens of thousands of incarcerated veterans.
- Prisons: Tailored environments/programs may enhance safety/order; facilities without capacity get minimum structured support.
- No direct international relations impact.
Main Stakeholders
- Incarcerated veterans (primary beneficiaries, especially with PTSD/TBI/military sexual trauma).
- VA and Vet Centers (deliver care, training).
- BOP and state/local prisons (housing, programs, coordination).
- Veterans' families (benefit resumption).
- Congress/BJS (data/reports for oversight).
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications
- Legal: Waives existing VA care barriers; mandates feasibility-based BOP actions without unfunded mandate issues specified. Effective dates (e.g., 180 days) allow implementation time.
- Constitutional: No apparent conflicts; supports equal protection/rehab for veterans under due process.
- Political: Bipartisan (introduced by Reps. Conaway/Luttrell); emphasizes veteran support, potentially aiding reentry and reducing long-term costs/recidivism. Referred to Judiciary and Veterans' Affairs Committees.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Rep. Conaway, Herbert C. [D-NJ-3]
Cosponsors (2)
Rep. Luttrell, Morgan [R-TX-8], Rep. Stansbury, Melanie A. [D-NM-1]
Recent Actions
- 2026-05-20: Committee Hearings Held
- 2026-03-24: Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
- 2026-03-24: Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
- 2026-03-24: Introduced in House
- 2026-03-24: Introduced in House
Bill Versions
- Get Justice-Involved Veterans Behavioral Assistance and Care for Key Health Outcomes to Maintain Empowerment Act — issued 2026-03-24 — PDF (8 pages)