VA Precision Medicine Act

To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out an initiative to identify and validate brain and mental health biomarkers among veterans. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the VA Precision Medicine Act 2. Precision medicine initiative of Department of Veterans Affairs to identify and validate brain and mental health biomarkers (a) In general Beginning not later than two years after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall develop and implement an initiative of the Department of Veterans Affairs to identify and validate brain and mental health biomarkers among veterans, with specific consideration for depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, bipolar disorder, traumatic brain injury, and such other mental health conditions as the Secretary considers appropriate. Such initiative may be referred to as the Precision Medicine for Veterans Initiative (b) Model of initiative The initiative under subsection (a) shall be modeled on the All of Us Precision Medicine Initiative administered by the National Institutes of Health with respect to large-scale collection of standardized data and open data sharing. (c) Use of data (1) Privacy and security In carrying out the initiative under subsection (a), the Secretary shall develop robust data privacy and security measures to ensure that information of veterans participating in the initiative is kept private and secure. (2) Open platform (A) Research purposes (i) In general The Secretary shall make de-identified data collected under the initiative available for research purposes both within and outside of the Department of Veterans Affairs. (ii) Research The Secretary shall assist the National Institutes of Health and the Department of Energy in the use by the National Institutes of Health or the Department of Energy of data collected under the initiative for research purposes under clause (i). (B) Data may not be sold Data collected under the initiative may not be sold. (3) Standardization (A) In general The Secretary shall ensure that data collected under the initiative is standardized. (B) Consultation The Secretary shall consult with the National Institutes of Health and the Food and Drug Administration to determine the most effective, efficient, and cost-effective way of standardizing data collected under the initiative. (C) Manner of standardization Data collected under the initiative shall be standardized in the manner in which it is collected, entered into the database, extracted, and recorded. (4) Measures of brain function or structure Any measures of brain function or structure collected under the initiative shall be collected with a device that is approved by the Food and Drug Administration. (d) Inclusion of initiative in program The Secretary shall assess the feasibility and advisability of coordinating efforts of the initiative under subsection (a) with the Million Veterans Program of the Department, while seeking a population-based sample.

Summary: VA Precision Medicine Act This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to implement the Precision Medicine for Veterans Initiative to identify and validate brain and mental health biomarkers among veterans, with specific consideration for depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, bipolar disorder, and traumatic brain injury. The VA must develop data privacy and security measures to ensure the information of veterans participating in the initiative is kept private and secure. Additionally, the VA must make de-identified data collected under the initiative available for research purposes both within and outside of the VA. Data collected under the initiative may not be sold. The VA must also assess the feasibility and advisability of coordinating efforts of the initiative with the Million Veterans Program.