I 

116TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 8147 

To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to expand an existing pilot 

program, and to establish a new pilot program, related to complementary 

and integrative health services for veterans. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

SEPTEMBER 1, 2020 

Mr. LAMB (for himself and Mr. FITZPATRICK) introduced the following bill; 

which was referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

A BILL 

To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to expand an 

existing pilot program, and to establish a new pilot program, related to complementary and integrative health 

services for veterans. 

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 ‘‘Testing, Researching, 

5 and Expanding Alternative Treatments Act’’ or the 

6 ‘‘TREAT Act’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. EXPANSION OF CERTAIN COMPLEMENTARY AND IN2 TEGRATIVE HEALTH SERVICES. 

3 (a) PLAN REQUIRED.—Not later than 180 days after 

4 the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of 

5 Veterans Affairs shall develop a plan to expand the pilot 

6 program under section 933 of the Jason Simcakoski Me7 morial and Promise Act (title IX of Public Law 114–198; 

8 38 U.S.C. 1701 note). 

9 (b) ASSESSMENT; ELEMENTS.—The plan under sub10 section (a) shall include provisions for assessing the imple11 mentation of the plan and the effectiveness of services and 

12 programs described in subsection (f) of that section 933, 

13 including— 

14 (1) the use and efficacy of complementary and 

15 integrative health services delivered through the pilot 

16 program for addressing mental health, pain manage17 ment, and treatment of chronic illness; 

18 (2) the outreach conducted by the Secretary to 

19 inform veterans and community organizations of 

20 such services; and 

21 (3) the experiences of veterans who received 

22 such services. 

23 (c) TREATMENTS DESCRIBED.—Complementary and 

24 integrative health treatments described in this subjection 

25 shall consist of the following: 

26 (1) Yoga. 


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1 (2) Meditation. 

2 (3) Acupuncture. 

3 (4) Chiropractic care. 

4 (5) Other treatments that show sufficient evi5 dence of efficacy at treating mental or physical 

6 health conditions, as determined by the Secretary. 

7 (d) IMPLEMENTATION.—Not later than 270 days 

8 after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary 

9 shall implement the plan under subsection (a). 

10 (e) REPORT.—Not later than two years after the date 

11 of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit 

12 to the Committees on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate and 

13 House of Representatives a report on activities carried out 

14 under this section, including— 

15 (1) the assessment under subsection (b); 

16 (2) implementation under subsection (d); and 

17 (3) such recommendations regarding the fur18 nishing of complementary and integrative health 

19 treatments described in subsection (c) the Secretary 

20 determines appropriate. 


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1 SEC. 3. PILOT PROGRAM TO PROVIDE VETERANS ACCESS 

2 TO COMPLEMENTARY AND INTEGRATIVE 

3 HEALTH SERVICES THROUGH ANIMAL THER4 APY, AGRITHERAPY, AND ADAPTIVE SPORTS, 

5 RECREATION, AND OUTDOOR ADVENTURE. 

6 (a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days after the 

7 date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Vet8 erans Affairs shall commence the conduct of a pilot pro9 gram to provide complementary and integrative health 

10 services described in subsection (b) to eligible veterans 

11 from the Department of Veterans Affairs or through the 

12 use of non-Department entities for the treatment of post13 traumatic stress disorder, depression, anxiety, or other 

14 conditions as determined by the Secretary. 

15 (b) TREATMENTS DESCRIBED.—Complementary and 

16 integrative health treatments described in this subsection 

17 shall consist of the following: 

18 (1) Equine assisted therapy. 

19 (2) Other animal therapy. 

20 (3) Agritherapy. 

21 (4) Post-traumatic growth programming. 

22 (5) Adaptive sports, recreation, and outdoor ad23 venture. 

24 (c) ELIGIBLE VETERANS.—A veteran is eligible to 

25 participate in the pilot program under this section if the 

26 veteran— 


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1 (1) is enrolled in the system of patient enroll2 ment of the Department under section 1705(a) of 

3 title 38, United States Code; and 

4 (2) during the two-year period preceding the 

5 initial participation of the veteran in the pilot pro6 gram— 

7 (A) has received health care under the laws 

8 administered by the Secretary; or 

9 (B) has received rehabilitation and coun10 seling services from a Vet Center. 

11 (d) DURATION.— 

12 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall carry 

13 out the pilot program under this section for a three14 year period beginning on the commencement of the 

15 pilot program. 

16 (2) EXTENSION.—The Secretary may extend 

17 the duration of the pilot program under this section 

18 if the Secretary, based on the results of the interim 

19 report submitted under subsection (f)(1), determines 

20 that it is appropriate to do so. 

21 (e) LOCATIONS.— 

22 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall select 

23 not fewer than five facilities of the Department at 

24 which to carry out the pilot program under this sec25 tion. 


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1 (2) SELECTION CRITERIA.—In selecting facili2 ties under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall ensure 

3 that— 

4 (A) the locations are in geographically di5 verse areas; and 

6 (B) not fewer than three facilities serve 

7 veterans in rural or highly rural areas (as de8 termined through the use of the Rural-Urban 

9 Commuting Areas coding system of the Depart10 ment of Agriculture). 

11 (f) RESEARCH ON EFFECTIVENESS OF TREAT12 MENT.— 

13 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall carry 

14 out the pilot program in conjunction with academic 

15 researchers affiliated with the Department of Vet16 erans Affairs, including through agreements under 

17 paragraph (2), in order for those researchers to 

18 study the effectiveness of the treatments described 

19 in subsection (b). 

20 (2) AGREEMENTS.—Before commencing the 

21 pilot program, the Secretary shall seek to enter into 

22 agreements with academic researchers to ensure ro23 bust data collection and gathering procedures are in 

24 place under the pilot program in order to produce 

25 peer-reviewed journal articles. 


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1 (g) REPORTS.— 

2 (1) INTERIM REPORT.— 

3 (A) IN GENERAL.—Not later than one year 

4 after the commencement of the pilot program 

5 under this section, the Secretary shall submit to 

6 the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the Sen7 ate and the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of 

8 the House of Representatives a report on the 

9 progress of the pilot program. 

10 (B) ELEMENTS.—The report required by 

11 subparagraph (A) shall include the following: 

12 (i) The number of participants in the 

13 pilot program. 

14 (ii) The type or types of therapy of15 fered at each facility at which the pilot 

16 program is being carried out. 

17 (iii) An assessment of whether partici18 pation by a veteran in the pilot program 

19 resulted in any changes in clinically rel20 evant endpoints for the veteran with re21 spect to the conditions specified in sub22 section (a). 

23 (iv) An assessment of effect on quality 

24 of life and well-being of veterans partici25 pating in the pilot program, including the 


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1 results of a satisfaction survey of the par2 ticipants in the pilot program, 

3 disaggregated by treatment under sub4 section (b). 

5 (v) An assessment of whether the pilot 

6 program is effective in increasing the ad7 herence of veterans to mental health treat8 ment for the conditions described in sub9 section (a). 

10 (vi) The determination of the Sec11 retary with respect to extending the pilot 

12 program under subsection (d)(2). 

13 (vii) Any recommendations of the Sec14 retary with respect to expanding the pilot 

15 program. 

16 (2) FINAL REPORT.—Not later than 90 days 

17 after the termination of the pilot program under this 

18 section, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee 

19 on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate and the Com20 mittee on Veterans’ Affairs of the House of Rep21 resentatives a final report on the pilot program. 

Æ 


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