LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION urging the New York State Congressional deleg-
ation to pass H.R. 2138/S. 902, the "Services, Education, and Rehabili-
tation for Veterans Act"

WHEREAS, The "Services, Education and Rehabilitation for Veterans Act,"
referred to as the "SERV Act," H.R. 2138/S. 902 would provide grants to
establish veteran's treatment courts; and
WHEREAS, Under this proposal, the Director of the Office of National
Drug Control Policy would be required to delegate to the Department of
Justice (DOJ) the authority to administer the veteran's treatment courts
program established by this Act; and
WHEREAS, It further authorizes the United States Attorney General to
make grants to states and other entities (1) to develop, implement, or
enhance veteran's treatment courts or to expand operational drug courts
to serve veterans, and (2) for programs that involve continuing judicial
supervision over nonviolent offenders with substance abuse or mental
health problems who have served in the U.S. military; and
WHEREAS, The Act also requires such programs to include mandatory
periodic testing for the use of drugs, substance abuse and mental health
treatment, opportunities for diversion, probation, or supervised
release, and programmatic, offender management, and aftercare services;
and
WHEREAS, Grants under this legislation would be made to veteran's
treatment courts and drug courts serving veterans which effectively
integrate substance abuse treatment, mental health treatment, mandatory
drug testing, sanctions and incentives, and transitional services, in a
judicially supervised court setting with jurisdiction over nonviolent,
substance-abusing offenders that have served in the United States mili-
tary; and
WHEREAS, Currently in New York State there are two veteran's courts,
one in Buffalo and one in Rochester; and
WHEREAS, Kings County has created a diversion program for military
veterans who have become involved in the criminal justice system; and
WHEREAS, Other areas of the state, such as Albany County, are inter-
ested in establishing veteran's courts as well; and
WHEREAS, Studies have shown that 30 to 40 percent of the 1.6 million
troops who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan will face serious mental
health injuries such as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) or trau-
matic brain injury (TBI); because they have no visible scars of war,
victims of those ailments frequently suffer in silence which can lead to
higher rates of divorce, drug and alcohol abuse and contact with the
criminal justice system; and
WHEREAS, The idea behind the veteran's courts is to identify those who
have served in the armed forces and get them the help they need and
deserve; and
WHEREAS, "The Services, Education, and Rehabilitation for Veterans
Act," the "SERV Act," is endorsed by the National Drug Court Profes-
sionals Association and the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America;
now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the New York State Congressional Delegation be and
hereby is respectfully memorialized by this Legislative Body to pass
H.R. 2138/S. 902, the "Services, Education, and Rehabilitation for
Veterans Act," the "SERV Act"; and be it further
RESOLVED, That copies of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to each member of the Congressional Delegation from the State of
New York.