I 
119TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 6444 
To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish a Blast Overpressure 
Task Force. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
DECEMBER 4, 2025 
Mr. JACKSON of Texas (for himself, Mr. ALFORD, Mr. SMITH of New Jersey, 
and Mr. TIFFANY) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, and in addition to the Committee on 
Armed Services, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speak-
er, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the ju-
risdiction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish a 
Blast Overpressure Task Force. 
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 ‘‘Blast Overpressure 
Research and Mitigation Task Force Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF THE BLAST OVERPRESSURE 
TASK FORCE OF THE DEPARTMENT OF VET-
ERANS AFFAIRS. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—Not later than 180 days after 
the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of 
Veterans Affairs shall establish, through the Department 
of Veterans Affairs-Department of Defense Joint Execu-
tive Committee under section 320 of title 38, United 
States Code, the Blast Overpressure Task Force of the 
Department of Veterans Affairs (in this section referred 
to as the ‘‘Task Force’’). 
(b) DUTIES.—The duties of the Task Force are the 
following: 
(1) To improve how the Secretary of Veterans 
Affairs, in consultation with the Secretary of De-
fense, provides health care and other benefits to vet-
erans or members of the Armed Forces diagnosed 
with traumatic brain injury, post-traumatic stress 
disorder, or other symptoms, from blast overpressure 
or blast exposure. 
(2) To align research agendas and acquisition 
strategies of the Department regarding such health 
care. 
(3) To establish physiological and cognitive per-
formance baselines for such veterans and members. 
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(4) To prioritize translational research regard-
ing such veterans and members, including research 
regarding— 
(A) sleep therapy; 
(B) blast-related gut health; 
(C) mobile diagnostics; 
(D) vestibular dysfunction and balance im-
pairment; 
(E) 
autonomic 
nervous 
system 
dysregulation; 
(F) cumulative mild traumatic brain in-
jury; 
(G) neuroinflammation and glial activation; 
and 
(H) any other issue determined appro-
priate by the Secretary. 
(5) To monitor sensory decline (including with 
regards to vision, hearing, and vestibular function) 
and stress-related impairments among such veterans 
and members. 
(6) To support continuity of such care by inte-
grating mobile and longitudinal diagnostic tools. 
(c) REPORTS.—The Task Force shall issue annual re-
ports to the Committees on Veterans’ Affairs and on 
Armed Services of the Senate and House of Representa-
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tives. Each such report shall include the following ele-
ments: 
(1) Details of research initiatives, coordination 
outcomes, and clinical advancements of the Task 
Force. 
(2) Recommendations of the Task Force re-
garding— 
(A) how claims processors of the Depart-
ment of Veterans Affairs should evaluate evi-
dence that links such conditions to active mili-
tary, naval, air, or space service; and 
(B) best practices regarding the evaluation 
of neurological injuries in examinations for ben-
efits under chapters 11 or 15 of title 38, United 
States Code. 
(d) SUNSET.—The Task Force shall terminate on 
September 30, 2029. 
Æ 
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