Angus King (I-ME)
Get Justice-Involved Veterans BACK HOME Act
A bill from an independent · See the cosponsor
Last activity — Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
In committee
Introduced and handed to a committee in the chamber it started in.
The committee holds it, and most bills are never heard from again. A hearing or a committee vote would be news; silence is the usual outcome, and it kills the bill without anyone voting against it.
Its path through Congress
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
This bill, known as the "Get Justice-Involved Veterans BACK HOME Act," aims to improve how the Department of Veterans Affairs serves incarcerated veterans. It establishes a pilot program to provide mental health care to veterans in various correctional facilities, prioritizing those with service-connected disabilities like PTSD or traumatic brain injury. The legislation also directs the Bureau of Prisons to create dedicated housing units or structured programs tailored to veterans. Additionally, it ensures that compensation payments resume automatically upon a veteran's release from incarceration following a felony conviction. Finally, it mandates the collection and reporting of data regarding incarcerated veterans.
Yes· 3 of 6
- Scored +8
Would veterans be better off under this, taking everything together?
The bill significantly improves veteran support through mental health care access in prisons and guaranteed financial continuity upon release.
- Scored +8
Does this increase the pay, pensions or support veterans receive?
The bill enhances veterans' benefits by providing mental health care during incarceration and guaranteeing the automatic resumption of compensation upon release.
- Scored +7
Does this make mental health care easier to get?
The bill establishes a pilot program to provide mental health care, including telemental health and mobile units, specifically for incarcerated veterans.
The opposite
No question was scored the opposite.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Access to Mental Health Care: The Secretary of Veterans Affairs will carry out a pilot program to provide mental health care, including telemental health or mobile units, to incarcerated veterans (Section 2(a), 2(d)).
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Priority for High-Need Veterans: Priority for mental health services under the pilot program is given to veterans with service-sconnected disabilities related to post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injury, or military sexual trauma (Section 2(a)).
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Cost Savings for Veterans: The Secretary is prohibited from charging a copayment for receiving services under the pilot program (Section 2(d)(3)).
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Improved Living Environments: The Bureau of Prisons is directed to establish dedicated wards or housing units that provide an environment of discipline, structure, and order to facilitate mental health treatment and rehabilitation (Section 3(a)).
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Financial Stability Upon Release: For individuals whose compensation was interrupted due to incarceration, payments will resume automatically on the date they are released (Section 4(a)).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
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Limitations on Medical Assessment: While providing mental health care, healthcare providers under the pilot program are not permitted to provide assessment or evaluation of current or future disability claims (Section 2(e)(2)).
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Restricted Provider Options: Mental health care under the pilot program must be furnished through the use of Department health care providers and may not use non-Department providers (Section 2(e)(1)).
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Tap or hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Would veterans be better off under this, taking everything together? — The bill significantly improves veteran support through mental health care access in prisons and guaranteed financial continuity upon release. Would households on low incomes be better off under this? — Ensuring the automatic resumption of compensation helps prevent financial hardship for low-income veterans upon release.
- Social Issues And Justice
- Does this expand the rights of people with disabilities? — The bill prioritizes mental health services for veterans with service-connected disabilities like PTSD and traumatic brain injury. Is this likely to lift people out of poverty? — The bill ensures that veterans' compensation payments resume automatically upon their release from incarceration, providing financial stability.
- National Security And Foreign Policy
- Does this increase the pay, pensions or support veterans receive? — The bill enhances veterans' benefits by providing mental health care during incarceration and guaranteeing the automatic resumption of compensation upon release.
- Healthcare
- Does this make mental health care easier to get? — The bill establishes a pilot program to provide mental health care, including telemental health and mobile units, specifically for incarcerated veterans.
- 3/23/2026
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- Introduced in Senate
One bill Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.
Pete RickettsRepublican · Nebraska