I 

117TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1656 

To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs and the Secretary of Defense 

to furnish stellate ganglion block to veterans and members of the Armed 

Forces with post-traumatic stress disorder, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MARCH 8, 2021 

Mr. PERRY (for himself, Mr. CRENSHAW, Mr. ZELDIN, Mr. TAYLOR, Mr. 

BISHOP of North Carolina, and Mr. MURPHY of North Carolina) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Armed 

Services, and in addition to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, for a 

period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for 

consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 

A BILL 

To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs and the Secretary 

of Defense to furnish stellate ganglion block to veterans 

and members of the Armed Forces with post-traumatic 

stress disorder, and for other purposes. 

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 ‘‘Treatment and Relief 

5 through Emerging and Accessible Therapy for PTSD Act’’ 

6 or the ‘‘TREAT PTSD Act’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. PROVISION OF STELLATE GANGLION BLOCK TO 

2 VETERANS AND MEMBERS OF THE ARMED 

3 FORCES WITH POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DIS4 ORDER. 

5 (a) PROVISION TO VETERANS.— 

6 (1) IN GENERAL.—Subchapter II of chapter 17 

7 of title 38, United States Code, is amended by add8 ing at the end the following new section: 

9 ‘‘§ 1720K. Provision of stellate ganglion block for cer10 tain veterans 

11 ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall furnish stel12 late ganglion block to any veteran who— 

13 ‘‘(1) is enrolled in the patient enrollment sys14 tem under section 1705 of this title; 

15 ‘‘(2) has been diagnosed with post-traumatic 

16 stress disorder; and 

17 ‘‘(3) has elected to receive stellate ganglion 

18 block after being informed by a qualified health care 

19 provider of the risks and benefits of stellate ganglion 

20 block. 

21 ‘‘(b) PROVISION OF CARE.—The Secretary may fur22 nish stellate ganglion block under subsection (a) through 

23 a medical facility of the Department or through a health 

24 care provider specified in section 1703(c) of this title.’’. 

25 (2) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of con26 tents at the beginning of chapter 17 of title 38, 


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1 United States Code, is amended by inserting after 

2 the item relating to section 1720J the following new 

3 item: 

‘‘1720K. Provision of stellate ganglion block for certain veterans.’’. 

4 (b) PROVISION TO MEMBERS OF THE ARMED

5 FORCES.— 

6 (1) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 55 of title 10, 

7 United States Code, is amended by inserting after 

8 section 1074o the following new section: 

9 ‘‘§ 1074p. Provision of stellate ganglion block for cer10 tain members 

11 ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall furnish stel12 late ganglion block to any member of the Armed Forces 

13 (including the reserve components) who is performing or 

14 has performed active service and who— 

15 ‘‘(1) is enrolled in the TRICARE program 

16 under chapter 55 of this title; 

17 ‘‘(2) has been diagnosed with post-traumatic 

18 stress disorder; and 

19 ‘‘(3) has elected to receive stellate ganglion 

20 block after being informed by a qualified health care 

21 provider of the risks and benefits of stellate ganglion 

22 block. 

23 ‘‘(b) PROVISION OF CARE.—The Secretary may fur24 nish stellate ganglion block under subsection (a) through 

25 a medical facility of the Department or through a qualified 


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1 health care provider participating in a Department admin2 istered TRICARE health insurance program.’’. 

3 (2) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of con4 tents at the beginning of chapter 55 of title 10, 

5 United States Code, is amended by inserting after 

6 the item relating to section 1074o the following new 

7 item: 

‘‘1074p. Provision of stellate ganglion block for certain members.’’. 

8 (c) UPDATE OF JOINT CLINICAL PRACTICE GUIDE9 LINE.— 

10 (1) UPDATE OF GUIDELINE.—Not later than 

11 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, 

12 the Secretary of Veterans Affairs and the Secretary 

13 of Defense shall update the guideline published 

14 jointly by the Secretaries and titled the ‘‘VA/DOD 

15 Clinical Practice Guideline (CPG) for the Manage16 ment of PTSD’’ (or such successor guideline) to en17 sure the guideline— 

18 (A) reflects the availability of stellate gan19 glion block as a therapy option; and 

20 (B) includes information on the clinical in21 dicators and contraindicators for such therapy 

22 option. 

23 (2) NOTIFICATION.—Upon updating the guide24 line under paragraph (1), the Secretaries shall notify 


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1 the appropriate congressional committees of such 

2 update. 

3 (3) APPROPRIATE CONGRESSIONAL COMMIT4 TEES DEFINED.—In this subsection, the term ‘‘ap5 propriate congressional committees’’ means— 

6 (A) the congressional defense committees 

7 (as such term is defined in section 101 of title 

8 10, United States Code); and 

9 (B) the Committees on Veterans’ Affairs of 

10 the House of Representatives and the Senate. 

11 (d) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by 

12 subsections (a) and (b) shall take effect on the date that 

13 is 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act. 

Æ 


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