No official summary available for this bill.
[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6993 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 6993
To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out programs to
award grants to eligible entities to conduct research with respect to
treatments for traumatic brain injury prospective randomized control
trials for neurorehabilitation treatments, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
January 9, 2026
Mr. Bergman (for himself, Ms. Elfreth, Ms. King-Hinds, Mr. Davis of
North Carolina, Mr. Van Orden, and Mr. Luttrell) 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 programs to
award grants to eligible entities to conduct research with respect to
treatments for traumatic brain injury prospective randomized control
trials for neurorehabilitation treatments, and for other purposes.
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 ``Veterans TBI Breakthrough
Exploration of Adaptive Care Opportunities Nationwide Act of 2026'' or
the ``BEACON Act of 2026''.
SEC. 2. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS GRANT PROGRAM FOR SUPPLEMENTAL
NEUROREHABILITATION APPROACHES TO CHRONIC MILD TBI
TREATMENT.
(a) In General.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall establish
a grant program (to be known as the ``TBI Innovation Grant Program'')
to award grants to eligible entities described in subsection (b) for
the development, implementation, and evaluation of approaches and
methodologies for prospective randomized control trials for
neurorehabilitation treatments for the treatment of chronic mild TBI
(mTBI) in veterans.
(b) Eligible Entities Described.--An eligible entity described in
this subsection is any of the following:
(1) A nonprofit organization.
(2) An academic institution engaged in research with
respect to TBI.
(3) A non-Department health care provider with expertise in
neurorehabilitative therapies.
(4) An entity the Secretary determines appropriate for an
award of a grant under this section.
(c) Use of Funds.--An eligible entity in receipt of a grant under
this section shall use such grant to support activities that include--
(1) designing and testing novel or integrative treatments
for mTBI that prioritize patient-centered care, including non-
pharmacological therapies;
(2) conducting clinical studies and assessments to measure
the effectiveness of funded approaches to--
(A) improve mental health outcomes among veterans;
(B) reduce suicidality, and common risk factors for
completing suicide, including depression and substance
use disorders among veterans; and
(C) mitigate long-term effects of mTBI;
(3) providing training for clinicians and outreach to
veterans and their families to improve awareness and
accessibility of innovative mTBI treatments; and
(4) establishing partnerships with community organizations,
academic institutions, and health care facilities of the
Department of Veterans Affairs to implement and evaluate best
practices.
(d) Limitation on Grant Amount.--The Secretary may not award an
eligible entity a grant under this section in an amount that exceeds
$5,000,000 per fiscal year.
(e) Priority.--In awarding grants under this section, the Secretary
shall give priority to eligible entities that the Secretary determines
have demonstrated experience in delivering or researching effective
treatments for mTBI.
(f) Program Administration.--
(1) Applications.--An eligible entity desiring a grant
under this section shall submit to the Secretary an application
in such form, at such time, and containing such information and
assurances as the Secretary determines appropriate, including a
detailed description of--
(A) proposed activities;
(B) expected outcomes; and
(C) plans for evaluating effectiveness.
(2) Periodic reports.--An eligible entity in receipt of a
grant under this section shall, not less frequently than
annually, submit to the Secretary a report that includes, with
respect to the period covered by the report--
(A) a description of how the eligible entity used
such grant;
(B) a summary of the progress of activities funded
with amounts from such grant; and
(C) measured outcomes relating to such activities.
(3) Oversight; annual evaluations.--The Secretary shall--
(A) ensure rigorous oversight with respect to the
grant program under this section; and
(B) on an annual basis during the period the
authority to carry out the grant program is effective,
evaluate the efficacy of activities funded with a grant
awarded under such program.
(g) Coordination With VA Mental Health Services.--The Secretary
shall ensure that the grant program under this section aligns with the
Staff Sergeant Fox Suicide Prevention Grant Program of the Department
to--
(1) provide for cohesive and comprehensive support for
veterans with mTBI and associated mental health conditions; and
(2) increase research and development on integrated mTBI
and mental health interventions outside of the scope of
traditional Department of Veterans Affairs pathways,
interventions, programs, procedures, and pharmaceuticals.
(h) Regulations.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall prescribe regulations to
carry out this section.
(i) Available Amounts; Authorization of Appropriations.--
(1) Available amounts.--The Secretary may carry out the
program under this section using amounts available to the
Secretary for general mental health care programs.
(2) Authorization of appropriations.--There are authorized
to be appropriated to the Secretary $30,000,000 for fiscal
years 2026 through 2028 to carry out the pilot program under
this section, which shall remain available until expended.
(j) Duration; Annual Review.--The authority of the Secretary to
carry out the grant program under this section shall terminate at the
end of the 3-year period beginning on the date of the enactment of this
Act. During such period, the Secretary shall, on an annual basis,
review the effectiveness of such grant program to determine the
potential of such grant program for continuation or expansion.
SEC. 3. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS GRANT PROGRAM FOR INDEPENDENT
THIRD-PARTY RESEARCH STUDIES AND TREATMENT WITH RESPECT
TO SUPPLEMENTAL NEUROREHABILITATION TREATMENTS FOR MTBI.
(a) Establishment.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall
establish and carry out a research grant program to award grants to
eligible entities described in subsection (b) for studies and applied
programs on approaches and methodologies for the treatment of TBI in
veterans.
(b) Eligible Entities Described.--An eligible entity described in
this subsection is any of the following:
(1) An academic institution that conducts significant
research on TBI.
(2) A nonprofit organization with--
(A) expertise in TBI research and
neurorehabilitation; and
(B) demonstrated capabilities in clinical trials
and TBI treatment evaluation and patient care delivery.
(3) An entity, or a partnership among entities, that the
Secretary determines appropriate to receive a grant under this
section.
(c) Applications.--An eligible entity desiring a grant under this
section shall submit to the Secretary an application in such form, at
such time, and containing such information and assurances as the
Secretary determines appropriate, including a summary of--
(1) proposed research and treatment activities;
(2) methodology; and
(3) expected outcomes.
(d) Grant Categories.--
(1) In general.--Pursuant to the research grant program
under this section, the Secretary shall, each fiscal year--
(A) subject to the requirement under paragraph (2),
award four grants in amounts of not more than $625,000
for exploratory or pilot research and treatment
projects; and
(B) award five grants in amounts of not more than
$1,500,000 for collaborative or multidisciplinary
research and treatment initiatives.
(2) Priority.--The Secretary shall award not fewer than
three grants described in paragraph (1)(A) to nonprofit
organizations.
(e) Responsibilities of the Third-Party Organization.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary shall enter into an
agreement with an independent third-party organization
comparable to the National Center for Posttraumatic Stress
Disorder of the Department of Veterans Affairs to--
(A) administer the research grant program; and
(B) carry out studies and implement efforts that
include--
(i) analyzing data from TBI treatment
methodologies developed pursuant to the
research grant program to assess the effect,
among veterans, of such methodologies on mental
health outcomes and long-term recovery;
(ii) identifying evidence-based best
practices and providing recommendations for
further research or clinical application; and
(iii) randomized, controlled clinical
trials to--
(I) validate and deliver
treatments;
(II) establish a standard of care;
and
(III) improve access to such
treatments for veterans.
(2) Report.--The independent third-party organization with
which the Secretary enters into an agreement under paragraph
(1) shall submit to Congress and the Secretary a comprehensive
report that includes--
(A) the findings of the studies required under such
agreement; and
(B) recommendations with respect to the expansion
of successful TBI treatment methodologies and standard
of care recommendations, if any, developed pursuant to
the research grant program.
(f) Available Amounts; Authorization of Appropriations.--
(1) Available amounts.--The Secretary may use amounts
available to the Secretary for the operating budget of the
National Center for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder to carry out
the research grant program under this section.
(2) Authorization of appropriations.--There are authorized
to be appropriated to the Secretary $10,000,000 for each of
fiscal years 2026 through 2028 to carry out this section.
(g) Reports to Congress.--Not later than two years after the date
on which the Secretary commences the research grant program under this
section, and on an annual basis thereafter during the period the
authority of the Secretary to carry out such research grant program is
effective, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report that
includes--
(1) the findings of the studies under--
(A) section 2(f)(2); and
(B) the agreement required by section 3(e); and
(2) recommendations of the Secretary with respect to policy
and programmatic improvements to services of the Department to
treat TBI among veterans.
(h) Termination Date.--The authority of the Secretary to carry out
the research grant program under this section shall terminate on the
date that is three years after the date of the enactment of this Act.
SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) The term ``TBI'' means traumatic brain injury.
(2) The term ``treatment'' means clinical interventions,
therapeutic devices, or rehabilitation care provided directly
to a veteran with TBI.
(3) The term ``veteran'' has the meaning given such term in
section 101 of title 38, United States Code.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
Llama 3.2 · runs locally in your browser
Ask anything about this bill. The AI reads the full text to answer.
Enter to send · Shift+Enter for new line