II 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 5460 

To modify the Precision Medicine for Veterans Initiative of the Department 

of Veterans Affairs. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

DECEMBER 10, 2024 

Mr. MORAN (for himself and Mr. KING) introduced the following bill; which 

was read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

A BILL 

To modify the Precision Medicine for Veterans Initiative 

of the Department of Veterans Affairs. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Precision Brain Health 

5 Research Act of 2024’’. 

6 SEC. 2. MODIFICATION OF PRECISION MEDICINE FOR VET7 ERANS INITIATIVE. 

8 Section 305 of the Commander John Scott Hannon 

9 Veterans Mental Health Care Improvement Act of 2019 


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1 (Public Law 116–171; 38 U.S.C. 1712A note) is amend2 ed— 

3 (1) in subsection (a), by striking ‘‘and such 

4 other mental health conditions’’ and inserting ‘‘re5 petitive low-level blast exposure, dementia, and such 

6 other brain and mental health conditions’’; and 

7 (2) by adding at the end the following new sub8 sections: 

9 ‘‘(f) REPETITIVE LOW-LEVEL BLAST EXPOSURE RE10 SEARCH.—In carrying out the initiative under subsection 

11 (a), the Secretary shall conduct the following research: 

12 ‘‘(1) A big-data assessment of the clinical and 

13 non-clinical interventions that are illustrating posi14 tive outcomes for patients within the health system 

15 of the Veterans Health Administration with likely 

16 low-level repetitive blast injuries, including a cat17 egorization of military occupational specialties 

18 known to experience higher levels of low-level repet19 itive blast injuries. 

20 ‘‘(2) Not fewer than two large-scale implemen21 tation studies of research-proven interventions with22 in such health system for patients with likely low23 level repetitive blast injuries, including a categoriza24 tion of military occupational specialties known to exVerDate Sep 11 2014 18:14 Jan 09, 2025 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S5460.IS S5460

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1 perience higher levels of low-level repetitive blast in2 juries. 

3 ‘‘(3) A translational research study on the use 

4 of growth hormone replacement therapy on the im5 provement of cognitive function, quality of life, brain 

6 structure, and other negative symptoms on patients 

7 within such health system with likely low-level repet8 itive blast injuries. 

9 ‘‘(4) Not fewer than four large-scale quality im10 provement studies on improving the diagnosis and 

11 care of veteran patients with likely low-level repet12 itive blast injuries. 

13 ‘‘(g) ASSISTANCE AND REPORT BY NATIONAL ACAD14 EMIES OF SCIENCES, ENGINEERING, AND MEDICINE.— 

15 Not later than 60 days after the date of the enactment 

16 of the Precision Brain Health Research Act of 2024, the 

17 Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall seek to enter into a 

18 contract with the National Academies of Sciences, Engi19 neering, and Medicine under which the National Acad20 emies shall— 

21 ‘‘(1) work in tandem with the initiative under 

22 subsection (a) on validation of brain and mental 

23 health biomarkers among veterans; and 

24 ‘‘(2) not less frequently than once every two 

25 years, submit to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 


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1 of the Senate and the Committee on Veterans’ Af2 fairs of the House of Representatives a report on the 

3 work completed under paragraph (1). 

4 ‘‘(h) ASSESSMENT.— 

5 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall con6 duct an assessment of all translational research 

7 studies in progress and planned under the initiative 

8 under subsection (a), including research under sub9 section (f). 

10 ‘‘(2) REPORT.—Not later than 60 days after 

11 completion of the assessment conducted under para12 graph (1), the Secretary shall submit to the Com13 mittee on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate and the 

14 Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the House of 

15 Representatives a report on the assessment. 

16 ‘‘(i) REPORT.—Not less frequently than once every 

17 two years, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall submit 

18 to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate and 

19 the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the House of Rep20 resentatives a report on the initiative under subsection (a). 

21 ‘‘(j) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 

22 is authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary of Vet23 erans Affairs $5,000,000 to carry out the initiative under 


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1 subsection (a) for each of fiscal years 2025 through 

2 2034.’’. 

Æ 


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