38 U.S.C. § 903 — Uniform allowance

Page 130 TITLE 38—VETERANS’ BENEFITS § 903 ‘‘(2) DEPARTMENT POLICE OFFICER.—The term ‘De- partment police officer’ means an employee of the Department of Veterans Affairs described in section 902(a) of title 38, United States Code.’’ POLICE CRISIS INTERVENTION TRAINING OF DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS Pub. L. 116–214, title II, § 205, Dec. 5, 2020, 134 Stat. 1038, provided that: ‘‘(a) TRAINING.—The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall provide to Department police officers an annual training on the prevention of suicide among the popu- lation served by the Department police officers. ‘‘(b) CURRICULUM.—In carrying out subsection (a), the Secretary shall update any similar training provided before the date of the enactment of this Act [Dec. 5, 2020] to ensure that the curriculum for the training ad- dresses, at a minimum, the following: ‘‘(1) Effective behavioral science procedures for sui- cide prevention and risk mitigation. ‘‘(2) Crisis intervention and de-escalation skills, in- cluding through the use of interactive training. ‘‘(3) Information about mental health and sub- stance abuse disorders. ‘‘(4) Information about local law enforcement crisis intervention teams and other resources for veterans experiencing mental health crises available by the Department of Veterans Affairs, other elements of the Federal Government, and the community in which the police officers serve. ‘‘(c) CONSULTATION.—The Secretary shall ensure that the annual training provided to Department police offi- cers at a medical facility of the Department under sub- section (a) is provided in consultation with law enforce- ment training accreditation organizations and the mental health experts at such facility. ‘‘(d) PLAN ON COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS.—The Sec- retary shall ensure that each police force of a facility of the Department develops a plan to enter into part- nerships with— ‘‘(1) local community mental health organizations and experts, local community veterans organizations, and local community criminal justice organizations and experts; and ‘‘(2) local police departments, including by facili- tating the sharing of training resources with crisis intervention teams of the local police departments. ‘‘(e) REPORT.—Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall sub- mit to the Committees on Veterans’ Affairs of the House of Representatives and the Senate a report on the annual training under subsection (a), including— ‘‘(1) a description of the curriculum of such train- ing; ‘‘(2) with respect to the year preceding the date of the report— ‘‘(A) the number of facilities of the Department that conducted such training; ‘‘(B) the number of Department police officers who received such training; and ‘‘(C) any barriers to ensuring that each Depart- ment police officer receives such training; ‘‘(3) any recommendations to address the barriers identified under paragraph (2)(C); and ‘‘(4) the number of facilities of the Department that have entered into partnerships pursuant to sub- section (d). ‘‘(f) DEPARTMENT POLICE OFFICER DEFINED.—In this section, the term ‘Department police officer’ means an employee of the Department of Veterans Affairs speci- fied in section 902(a) of title 38, United States Code.’’ § 903. Uniform allowance (a) The Secretary may pay an allowance under this section for the purchase of uniforms to any Department police officer who is required to wear a prescribed uniform in the performance of official duties. (b)(1) The amount of the allowance that the Secretary may pay under this section is the lesser of— (A) the amount currently allowed as pre- scribed by the Office of Personnel Manage- ment; or (B) estimated costs or actual costs as deter- mined by periodic surveys conducted by the Department. (2) During any fiscal year no officer shall re- ceive more for the purchase of a uniform de- scribed in subsection (a) than the amount estab- lished under this subsection. (c) The allowance established under subsection (b) shall be paid at the beginning of a Depart- ment police officer’s employment for those ap- pointed on or after October 1, 2010. In the case of any other Department police officer, an allow- ance in the amount established under subsection (b) shall be paid upon the request of the officer. (d) A police officer who resigns as a police offi- cer less than one year after receiving an allow- ance in an amount established under this sec- tion shall repay to the Department a pro rata share of the amount paid, based on the number of months the officer was actually employed as such an officer during the twelve-month period following the date on which such officer began such employment or the date on which the offi- cer submitted a request for such an allowance, as the case may be. (e) An allowance may not be paid to a Depart- ment police officer under this section and under section 5901 of title 5 for the same fiscal year. (Added Pub. L. 102–83, § 2(a), Aug. 6, 1991, 105 Stat. 398; amended Pub. L. 111–163, title X, § 1002, May 5, 2010, 124 Stat. 1182.) Editorial Notes PRIOR PROVISIONS Prior section 903 was renumbered section 2303 of this title. Provisions similar to those in this section were con- tained in section 218(c) of this title prior to repeal by Pub. L. 102–83, § 2(a). AMENDMENTS 2010—Subsecs. (b), (c). Pub. L. 111–163 added subsecs. (b) and (c) and struck out former subsecs. (b) and (c) which read as follows: ‘‘(b) The amount of the allowance that the Secretary may pay under this section— ‘‘(1) may be based on estimated average costs or ac- tual costs; ‘‘(2) may vary by geographic regions; and ‘‘(3) except as provided in subsection (c), may not exceed $200 in a fiscal year for any police officer. ‘‘(c) The amount of an allowance under this section may be increased to an amount up to $400 for not more than one fiscal year in the case of any Department po- lice officer. In the case of a person who is appointed as a Department police officer on or after January 1, 1990, an allowance in an amount established under this sub- section shall be paid at the beginning of such person’s employment as such an officer. In the case of any other Department police officer, an allowance in an amount established under this subsection shall be paid upon the request of the officer.’’ § 904. Equipment and weapons The Secretary shall furnish Department police officers with such weapons and related equip-