VA Security Screening Pilot Program Act

[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 7765 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>






118th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 7765

   To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out a pilot 
 program to use weapon screening technology at medical centers of the 
                    Department of Veterans Affairs.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 21, 2024

   Mr. Williams of New York introduced the following bill; which was 
             referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out a pilot 
 program to use weapon screening technology at medical centers of the 
                    Department of Veterans Affairs.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``VA Security Screening Pilot Program 
Act''.

SEC. 2. PILOT PROGRAM TO USE WEAPON SCREENING TECHNOLOGY AT MEDICAL 
              CENTERS OF THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS.

    (a) Establishment.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than one year after the date of 
        the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs 
        shall carry out a pilot program to use weapon screening 
        technology at the primary entrance of each medical center of 
        the Department of Veterans Affairs located in one VISN selected 
        by the Secretary.
            (2) Exception.--The Secretary may omit from the pilot 
        program a medical center located in the VISN selected if the 
        Secretary--
                    (A) determines that--
                            (i) the Secretary already uses weapon 
                        screening technology at the primary entrance of 
                        such medical center; or
                            (ii) the medical center has a staffing 
                        shortage that makes participation in the pilot 
                        program impracticable; and
                    (B) submits to the Committees on Veterans' Affairs 
                of the Senate and House of Representatives written 
                notice of such omission before the Secretary carries 
                out the pilot program.
    (b) Agreements.--The Secretary may enter into an agreement with an 
entity to acquire weapon screening technology to carry out the pilot 
program. Any such agreement shall terminate not later than the day the 
pilot program terminates.
    (c) Termination.--The pilot program shall terminate two years after 
the Secretary begins to carry out the pilot program.
    (d) Report.--Not later than 90 days after the pilot program 
terminates, the Secretary, after consulting with the director of the 
VISN selected and the director of each medical center in such pilot 
program, shall submit to the Committees on Veterans' Affairs of the 
Senate and House of Representatives a report on the pilot program. Such 
report shall include the following:
            (1) The determination of the Secretary of the usefulness 
        and effectiveness of the weapon screening technology used.
            (2) The satisfaction, determined by surveys conducted by 
        the Secretary, with such pilot program, of--
                    (A) veterans who visited each medical center during 
                such pilot program;
                    (B) Department police officers; and
                    (C) employees of the Department who worked at each 
                such medical center during such pilot program.
            (3) ) The determination of the Secretary whether--
                    (A) existing policies regarding security screenings 
                at medical centers of the Department are appropriate; 
                and
                    (B) to update any such policy.
    (e) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) The term ``primary entrance'' means the entrance 
        through which the most individuals pass on average per day.
            (2) The term ``VISN'' means a Veterans Integrated Service 
        Network.
            (3) The term ``weapon screening technology'' means 
        technology designed to screen individuals for weapons and other 
        dangerous or prohibited items.
                                 <all>