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[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 5460 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

<DOC>

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.

    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 ``Precision Brain Health Research Act 
of 2024''.

SEC. 2. MODIFICATION OF PRECISION MEDICINE FOR VETERANS INITIATIVE.

    Section 305 of the Commander John Scott Hannon Veterans Mental 
Health Care Improvement Act of 2019 (Public Law 116-171; 38 U.S.C. 
1712A note) is amended--
            (1) in subsection (a), by striking ``and such other mental 
        health conditions'' and inserting ``repetitive low-level blast 
        exposure, dementia, and such other brain and mental health 
        conditions''; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following new subsections:
    ``(f) Repetitive Low-Level Blast Exposure Research.--In carrying 
out the initiative under subsection (a), the Secretary shall conduct 
the following research:
            ``(1) A big-data assessment of the clinical and non-
        clinical interventions that are illustrating positive outcomes 
        for patients within the health system of the Veterans Health 
        Administration with likely low-level repetitive blast injuries, 
        including a categorization of military occupational specialties 
        known to experience higher levels of low-level repetitive blast 
        injuries.
            ``(2) Not fewer than two large-scale implementation studies 
        of research-proven interventions within such health system for 
        patients with likely low-level repetitive blast injuries, 
        including a categorization of military occupational specialties 
        known to experience higher levels of low-level repetitive blast 
        injuries.
            ``(3) A translational research study on the use of growth 
        hormone replacement therapy on the improvement of cognitive 
        function, quality of life, brain structure, and other negative 
        symptoms on patients within such health system with likely low-
        level repetitive blast injuries.
            ``(4) Not fewer than four large-scale quality improvement 
        studies on improving the diagnosis and care of veteran patients 
        with likely low-level repetitive blast injuries.
    ``(g) Assistance and Report by National Academies of Sciences, 
Engineering, and Medicine.--Not later than 60 days after the date of 
the enactment of the Precision Brain Health Research Act of 2024, the 
Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall seek to enter into a contract with 
the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine under 
which the National Academies shall--
            ``(1) work in tandem with the initiative under subsection 
        (a) on validation of brain and mental health biomarkers among 
        veterans; and
            ``(2) not less frequently than once every two years, submit 
        to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the Senate and the 
        Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the House of Representatives 
        a report on the work completed under paragraph (1).
    ``(h) Assessment.--
            ``(1) In general.--The Secretary shall conduct an 
        assessment of all translational research studies in progress 
        and planned under the initiative under subsection (a), 
        including research under subsection (f).
            ``(2) Report.--Not later than 60 days after completion of 
        the assessment conducted under paragraph (1), the Secretary 
        shall submit to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the 
        Senate and the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the House of 
        Representatives a report on the assessment.
    ``(i) Report.--Not less frequently than once every two years, the 
Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall submit to the Committee on 
Veterans' Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on Veterans' Affairs 
of the House of Representatives a report on the initiative under 
subsection (a).
    ``(j) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs $5,000,000 to carry 
out the initiative under subsection (a) for each of fiscal years 2025 
through 2034.''.
                                 <all>
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