Bill Summary
The "Veterans TBI Adaptive Care Opportunities Nationwide Act of 2025" establishes a grant program through the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) aimed at improving neurorehabilitation treatments for veterans suffering from chronic mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). The program, known as the TBI Innovation Grant Program, will provide funding to eligible entities—such as nonprofit organizations, academic institutions, and specialized healthcare providers—to develop and evaluate innovative treatment methodologies, particularly focusing on patient-centered care and non-pharmacological therapies.
Key features of the legislation include:
1. **Funding and Duration**: The program will have a funding limit of $5 million per eligible entity per fiscal year and will be authorized for three years, with a total budget of $30 million for fiscal years 2026 through 2028.
2. **Focus Areas**: Grants will support activities like designing novel treatments, conducting clinical studies on mental health impacts, reducing suicide risks, training clinicians, and fostering partnerships with community organizations and VA facilities.
3. **Oversight and Evaluation**: The VA Secretary is tasked with ensuring rigorous oversight of the program, annual evaluations of its effectiveness, and reporting findings and recommendations to Congress.
4. **Alignment with Mental Health Services**: The program will coordinate with existing mental health initiatives to provide comprehensive support to veterans with mTBI.
Overall, this legislation aims to enhance the treatment and rehabilitation options available to veterans suffering from the effects of mTBI, ultimately improving their health outcomes and quality of life.
Possible Impacts
Here are three examples of how the "Veterans TBI Adaptive Care Opportunities Nationwide Act of 2025" could affect people:
1. **Improved Treatment Options for Veterans**: The legislation establishes a grant program aimed at developing and evaluating innovative neurorehabilitation treatments for chronic mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) in veterans. This could lead to the introduction of new, effective therapies that prioritize patient-centered care, thereby improving the quality of life for veterans suffering from mTBI. Veterans may experience better management of their symptoms, enhanced mental health, and overall improved well-being through access to these novel treatments.
2. **Enhanced Mental Health Support**: One of the key focuses of the legislation is to conduct clinical studies that aim to improve mental health outcomes among veterans, particularly those dealing with depression and substance use disorders related to mTBI. This targeted approach could lead to reduced rates of suicidality and associated risk factors, providing veterans with better mental health support and potentially saving lives. Families of veterans may also benefit from the reduction in mental health crises and improved family dynamics.
3. **Strengthened Community and Institutional Partnerships**: The legislation encourages partnerships between grant recipients, community organizations, academic institutions, and healthcare facilities. This collaboration could create a more integrated support system for veterans, enhancing access to care and resources. Community organizations may develop outreach programs that educate veterans and their families about available treatments, leading to increased awareness and utilization of innovative therapies. This collaborative approach can foster a more comprehensive support network for veterans dealing with the effects of mTBI and associated mental health issues.
[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3130 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 3130
To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out a program to
award grants to eligible entities to develop, implement, and evaluate
approaches and methodologies for prospective randomized control trials
for neurorehabilitation treatments for the treatment of chronic mild
traumatic brain injury in veterans, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
November 6, 2025
Mr. McCormick (for himself and Ms. Rosen) introduced the following
bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans'
Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out a program to
award grants to eligible entities to develop, implement, and evaluate
approaches and methodologies for prospective randomized control trials
for neurorehabilitation treatments for the treatment of chronic mild
traumatic brain injury in veterans, 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 Adaptive Care
Opportunities Nationwide Act of 2025''.
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 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 (in this section
referred to ``mTBI'') in veterans.
(b) Duration.--The authority of the Secretary to carry out the
grant program under this section shall terminate at the end of the
three-year period beginning on the date of the enactment of this Act.
(c) Use of Funds.--An eligible entity in receipt of a grant under
this section shall use amounts awarded under 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--
(A) to improve mental health outcomes among
veterans;
(B) to reduce suicidality and common risk factors
for completing suicide, including depression and
substance use disorders among veterans; and
(C) to 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 in which
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 Mental Health Services of Department of
Veterans Affairs.--The Secretary shall ensure that the grant program
under this section aligns with the Staff Sergeant Parker Gordon Fox
Suicide Prevention Grant Program of the Department under section 201 of
the Commander John Scott Hannon Veterans Mental Health Care Improvement
Act of 2019 (Public Law 116-171; 38 U.S.C. 1720F note)--
(1) to provide for cohesive and comprehensive support for
veterans with mTBI and associated mental health conditions; and
(2) to increase research and development on integrated mTBI
and mental health interventions outside of the scope of
traditional pathways, interventions, programs, procedures, and
pharmaceuticals of the Department.
(h) Annual Review.--Not less frequently than annually during the
duration of the grant program under this section, the Secretary shall
review the effectiveness of such program to determine the potential of
such program for continuation or expansion.
(i) Reports to Congress.--Not later than two years after the date
of the enactment of this Act, and not less frequently than annually
thereafter, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report that
includes--
(1) the findings of the activities reported under
subsection (f)(2); and
(2) the recommendations of the Secretary with respect to
policy and programmatic improvements to services of the
Department of Veterans Affairs to treat TBI among veterans.
(j) 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.
(k) Funding.--
(1) Available amounts.--The Secretary may carry out the
grant 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 grant program under
this section, which shall remain available until expended.
(l) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Eligible entity.--The term ``eligible entity'' means
any of the following:
(A) A nonprofit organization.
(B) An academic institution engaged in research
with respect to TBI.
(C) A non-Department of Veterans Affairs health
care provider with expertise in neurorehabilitative
therapies.
(D) An entity the Secretary determines appropriate
for an award of a grant under this section.
(2) TBI.--The term ``TBI'' means traumatic brain injury.
(3) Treatment.--The term ``treatment'', with respect to
TBI, means clinical interventions, therapeutic devices, or
rehabilitation care provided directly to a veteran with TBI.
(4) Veteran.--The term ``veteran'' has the meaning given
that term in section 101 of title 38, United States Code.
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