I 
119TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 5943 
To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish a Task Force on 
Complementary and Integrative Health/Whole Health, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
NOVEMBER 7, 2025 
Ms. ELFRETH (for herself and Mr. VAN ORDEN) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 
A BILL 
To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish a 
Task Force on Complementary and Integrative Health/ 
Whole Health, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Transforming Healing, 
Resilience, and Integrative Veteran Engagement Act of 
2025’’ or the ‘‘THRIVE Act of 2025’’. 
SEC. 2. INTERAGENCY TASK FORCE ON COMPLEMENTARY 
AND INTEGRATIVE HEALTH. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—Not later than 90 days after 
the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of 
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Veterans Affairs shall establish a task force, to be known 
as the ‘‘Task Force on Complementary and Integrative 
Health/Whole Health’’. 
(b) MEMBERS.—The task force shall be composed of 
the following individuals or their designees: 
(1) The Secretary of Veterans Affairs, who 
shall serve as the Chair. 
(2) The Executive Director of the Office of 
Mental Health and Suicide Prevention of the De-
partment of Veterans Affairs. 
(3) The Director of the Research and Develop-
ment Office of the Department. 
(4) The Executive Director of the Office of Pa-
tient-Centered Care and Cultural Transformation of 
the Department. 
(5) At least one representative from an aca-
demic institution who specializes in complementary 
and integrative health research. 
(6) At least one clinician of the Department 
who has experience treating veterans with one or 
more of the following conditions: 
(A) Post-traumatic stress disorder. 
(B) Traumatic brain injury. 
(C) Depression. 
(D) Anxiety. 
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(7) At least one representative from a veterans 
service organization focused on— 
(A) treatment for post-traumatic stress 
disorder, depression, and anxiety; or 
(B) suicide prevention. 
(8) At least one representative from another 
relevant organization involved in researching, diag-
nosing, or treating post-traumatic stress disorder, 
traumatic brain injury, depression, anxiety, or sui-
cide prevention that the Secretary of Veterans Af-
fairs determines is necessary. 
(9) At least one representative from a commu-
nity-based program with demonstrated success in 
improving veterans’ mental health and well-being 
through complementary, integrative, or peer-led ap-
proaches. 
(c) RESPONSIBILITIES.—The task force shall carry 
out the following responsibilities: 
(1) Assessing the current access of veterans 
who receive medical care at Department of Veterans 
Affairs medical facilities to complementary and inte-
grative health/whole health therapies and program 
for veterans and how to make such therapies and 
programs more accessible to such veterans at such 
facilities. 
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(2) Developing a framework to determine— 
(A) the effectiveness of complementary and 
integrative health therapies, including acupunc-
ture, biofeedback, clinical hypnosis, guided im-
agery, massage therapy, meditation, tai chi, 
qigong, and yoga, peer-supported programs, 
and health and wellness coaching programs as 
treatments for post-traumatic stress disorder, 
traumatic brain injury, depression, and anxiety, 
and for suicide prevention; and 
(B) whether and how the Department of 
Veterans Affairs should expand or modify ac-
cess to such therapies and programs. 
(3) Identifying gaps in research and implemen-
tation of complementary and integrative health/ 
whole health therapies at Department of Veterans 
Affairs medical facilities, including gaps in knowl-
edge of effectiveness or safety, provider training, and 
availability of services. 
(4) Determining how to integrate emerging 
complementary and integrative health/whole health 
therapies, including peer-led models and health and 
wellness coaching models, into the continuum of care 
of the Department. 
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of the Senate and House of Representatives a report 
containing a plan to address such recommendations. 
(f) TERMINATION.—The task force shall terminate on 
the date on which the task force submits the recommenda-
tions to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs under subsection 
(d). 
(g) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) The terms ‘‘peer-led model’’ and ‘‘peer-sup-
ported program’’ mean a program or approach in 
which veterans with lived experience are trained and 
engaged to provide counseling, mentoring, training, 
or support services to other veterans, as a com-
plement or alternative to services provided by clinical 
professionals. 
(2) The term ‘‘community-based program’’— 
(A) means a program providing health or 
wellness services that is operated by a non-gov-
ernmental or nonprofit entity in a local commu-
nity setting, rather than directly by a Federal 
agency; and 
(B) includes programs that receive funding 
from the Department of Veterans Affairs 
through grant programs or partnerships to en-
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hance veterans’ mental health, suicide preven-
tion, or overall well-being. 
Æ 
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