Bills · H.R. 6993 · Text
Reported in House
Confirmed from the official record
Our copy of the file on govinfo.gov, saved October 14, 2026. Fingerprint (SHA-256): fbb28a8ce12645c7.
[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6993 Reported in House (RH)]
<DOC>
Union Calendar No. 735
119th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 6993
[Report No. 119-838]
To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out programs to
award grants to eligible entities to conduct research with respect to
treatments for traumatic brain injury prospective randomized control
trials for neurorehabilitation treatments, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
January 9, 2026
Mr. Bergman (for himself, Ms. Elfreth, Ms. King-Hinds, Mr. Davis of
North Carolina, Mr. Van Orden, and Mr. Luttrell) introduced the
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans'
Affairs
October 1, 2026
Additional sponsors: Mr. Subramanyam, Mr. LaLota, Ms. Sewell, Mr.
Pfluger, Mr. Sorensen, Mr. Crank, Mr. Olszewski, and Mr. Van Drew
October 1, 2026
Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole
House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed
[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed
in italic]
[For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on January
9, 2026]
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out programs to
award grants to eligible entities to conduct research with respect to
treatments for traumatic brain injury prospective randomized control
trials for neurorehabilitation treatments, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Veterans TBI Breakthrough
Exploration of Adaptive Care Opportunities Nationwide Act of 2026'' or
the ``BEACON Act of 2026''.
SEC. 2. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS GRANT PROGRAM FOR SUPPLEMENTAL
NEUROREHABILITATION APPROACHES TO CHRONIC MILD TBI
TREATMENT.
(a) Grant Program.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall
carry out a three-year program (to be known as the ``TBI
Innovation Grant Program'') under which the Secretary shall
award grants to eligible entities described in subsection (b)
for the development, implementation, and evaluation of
approaches and methodologies for prospective randomized control
trials for neurorehabilitation treatments for the treatment of
chronic mild traumatic brain injury (in this Act referred to as
``mTBI'') in veterans.
(2) Relationship to other department activities.--The grant
program required under paragraph (1) shall be carried out in a
manner that--
(A) supplements, and does not supplant, other
clinical care and research of the Department of
Veterans Affairs relating to mTBI; and
(B) facilitates, as practicable, coordination with
Veterans Health Administration facilities for referral,
continuity of care, and dissemination of findings.
(b) Eligible Entities Described.--An eligible entity described in
this subsection is any of the following:
(1) A nonprofit organization with demonstrated capability
to conduct clinical trials and to deliver or research effective
neurorehabilitation treatments for mTBI, including through
patient care delivery.
(2) An academic institution that conducts significant
research on mTBI and has demonstrated capability to conduct
clinical trials relating to neurorehabilitation treatments.
(3) A non-Department health care provider with expertise in
neurorehabilitative therapies and demonstrated capability to
conduct clinical trials and to evaluate mTBI treatments through
patient care delivery.
(4) A partnership or consortium of two or more entities
described in paragraphs (1) through (3).
(c) Use of Funds.--An eligible entity in receipt of a grant under
this section shall use such grant to support activities that include--
(1) designing and testing novel or integrative treatments
for mTBI that prioritize patient-centered care, including non-
pharmacological therapies;
(2) conducting clinical studies and assessments to measure
the effectiveness of funded approaches to--
(A) improve mental health outcomes among veterans;
(B) reduce suicidality, and common risk factors for
completing suicide, including depression and substance
use disorders among veterans; and
(C) mitigate long-term effects of mTBI and, to the
extent outcomes are collected under the applicable
clinical protocol, measure durability of outcomes at
approximately six months following completion of
treatment;
(3) providing training for clinicians and outreach to
veterans and their families to improve awareness and
accessibility of innovative mTBI treatments, including
information on available Department resources and pathways to
access such resources; and
(4) establishing partnerships with community organizations,
academic institutions, and health care facilities, including,
as practicable, coordination with Veterans Health
Administration facilities to facilitate referral of eligible
veterans, continuity of care, and dissemination of aggregate
findings.
(d) Limitation on Grant Amount.--The Secretary may not award an
eligible entity a grant under this section in an amount that exceeds
$5,000,000 for any fiscal year.
(e) Program Administration.--
(1) Applications.--An eligible entity desiring a grant
under this section shall submit to the Secretary an application
in such form, at such time, and containing such information and
assurances as the Secretary determines appropriate, including a
detailed description of--
(A) activities proposed to be conducted using the
grant;
(B) expected outcomes of such activities;
(C) plans for evaluating the effectiveness of such
activities;
(D) how the eligible entity will coordinate, as
practicable, with Veterans Health Administration
facilities for referral and continuity of care for
veterans who participate in activities carried out
using grant funds, and for dissemination of aggregate
findings;
(E) the budget of the entity for the use of the
grant, including a narrative justification and an
identification of the estimated amount of grant funds
to be used for administrative or overhead costs; and
(F) assurances of compliance with applicable
Federal laws and regulations relating to human subjects
protections and patient safety.
(2) Priority.--In awarding grants under this section, the
Secretary shall give priority to eligible entities that have
demonstrated the capacity to coordinate with the Department to
facilitate referral and continuity of care for veterans who
participate in activities carried out using grant funds.
(3) Periodic reports.--As a condition of receiving a grant
under this section, an eligible entity shall, not less
frequently than annually during the grant period and not later
than 180 days after the end of the grant period, submit to the
Secretary a report that includes, with respect to the period
covered by the report--
(A) a description of how the eligible entity used
such grant;
(B) a summary of the progress of activities funded
with amounts from such grant;
(C) measured outcomes relating to such activities;
(D) a detailed accounting of expenditures of grant
funds, including administrative or overhead costs;
(E) to the extent collected under the applicable
clinical protocol or in the ordinary course of care, a
description of any adverse events and serious adverse
events, including self-harm or suicide-related events;
and
(F) a description of actions taken pursuant to the
coordination plan described in paragraph (1)(D).
(4) Oversight; annual evaluations.--The Secretary shall--
(A) ensure rigorous oversight of the grant program
under this section, including by monitoring financial
compliance and timely receipt of the reports required
under paragraph (2); and
(B) on an annual basis until the termination date
specified in subsection (i)(1), evaluate the efficacy
of activities carried out using grant funds based on
the reports submitted under paragraph (2) and other
appropriate information.
(5) Rule of construction.--Nothing in this section shall be
construed to authorize the Secretary to require prior approval
of, or changes to, any clinical protocol, study design, outcome
measures, or follow-up schedule of an eligible entity that
receives a grant under this section, except as necessary to
ensure compliance with applicable Federal laws and regulations
relating to human subjects protections and patient safety.
(6) Enforcement authority.--The Secretary may suspend,
modify, or terminate a grant awarded under this section, if the
Secretary determines that the recipient of such grant has
failed to comply with reporting requirements under paragraph
(2) or other applicable terms and conditions of the grant.
(f) Available Amounts; Authorization of Appropriations.--
(1) Available amounts.--The Secretary may carry out the
program under this section using amounts available to the
Secretary for general mental health care programs, if the use
of such amounts supplements, and does not supplant, amounts
otherwise available for Department mental health and traumatic
brain injury programs.
(2) Authorization of appropriations.--There is authorized
to be appropriated to the Secretary $10,000,000 for each of
fiscal years 2026 through 2028 to carry out this section.
(g) Duration; Annual Review.--
(1) Duration.--The authority of the Secretary to carry out
the grant program under this section shall terminate on the
date that is three years after the date of the enactment of
this Act, except that the Secretary may continue to use amounts
made available to carry out this section after such date solely
for the purpose of administering activities and obligations
incurred before such termination date.
(2) Annual review.--During such three-year period, the
Secretary shall, on an annual basis, review the effectiveness
of the grant program to determine the potential of such grant
program for continuation or expansion.
SEC. 3. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS GRANT PROGRAM FOR INDEPENDENT
THIRD-PARTY RESEARCH STUDIES AND TREATMENT WITH RESPECT
TO SUPPLEMENTAL NEUROREHABILITATION TREATMENTS FOR MTBI.
(a) Establishment.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall
establish and carry out a research grant program to award grants to
eligible entities described in subsection (b) to be used to carry out
studies and applied programs on approaches and methodologies for the
treatment of mTBI in veterans.
(b) Eligible Entities Described.--An eligible entity described in
this subsection is any of the following:
(1) A nonprofit organization that has demonstrated the
capability to conduct clinical trials and to evaluate traumatic
brain injury treatments through patient care delivery.
(2) An academic institution that conducts significant
research on traumatic brain injury and has demonstrated the
capability to conduct clinical trials relating to
neurorehabilitation treatments
(3) A partnership or consortium of two or more entities
described in paragraphs (1) and (2).
(c) Applications.--An eligible entity desiring a grant under this
section shall submit to the Secretary an application in such form, at
such time, and containing such information and assurances as the
Secretary determines appropriate, including a summary of--
(1) the research and treatment activities proposed to be
carried out using grant funds;
(2) the methodology to be used for such activities;
(3) the expected outcomes of such activities;
(4) how the eligible entity will coordinate, as
practicable, with Veterans Health Administration facilities for
referral and continuity of care for veterans who participate in
activities carried out using grant funds, and for dissemination
of aggregate findings;
(5) the budget of the entity for the use of the grant,
including a narrative justification and an identification of
the estimated amount of grant funds to be used for
administrative or overhead costs; and
(6) assurances of compliance with applicable Federal laws
and regulations relating to human subjects protections and
patient safety.
(d) Administration.--
(1) Grant categories.--In carrying out the grant program
under this section, each fiscal year the Secretary shall--
(A) subject to the requirement under paragraph (2),
award four grants for exploratory or pilot research and
treatment projects, each of which shall be in an amount
of not more than $625,000; and
(B) award five grants for collaborative or
multidisciplinary research and treatment initiatives,
each of which shall be in an amount of not more than
$1,500,000.
(2) Priority.--Of the grants awarded under paragraph
(1)(A), the Secretary shall award not fewer than three to
nonprofit organizations.
(3) Enforcement authority.--The Secretary may suspend,
modify, or terminate a grant awarded under this section, if the
Secretary determines that the recipient of such grant has
failed to comply with the applicable terms and conditions of
the grant.
(e) Agreement With Independent Organization.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary shall seek to enter into an
agreement with an independent organization that is not a
component of the Department and that has demonstrated expertise
in randomized controlled trials, neurorehabilitation outcomes
evaluation, and research integrity, under which the
organization agrees to--
(A) administer the research grant program under
this section;
(B) carry out studies and implement efforts that
include--
(i) analyzing data from mTBI treatment
methodologies developed pursuant to the
research grant program to assess the effect,
among veterans, of such methodologies on
enhanced brain health outcomes, mental health,
and long-term recovery, including, to the
extent outcomes are collected under the
applicable clinical protocol, durability of
outcomes at approximately six months following
completion of treatment;
(ii) identifying data-driven best practices
and providing recommendations for further
research or clinical application, including
recommendations for dissemination to Veterans
Health Administration clinicians and facilities
(as appropriate); and
(iii) randomized, controlled clinical
trials to--
(I) validate and deliver
treatments;
(II) establish a standard of care;
and
(III) improve access to such
treatments for veterans;
(C) submit to the Secretary not less frequently
than annually a report describing activities carried
out under this section, including outcome data and
methodology; and
(D) make available to the Secretary all data and
findings from the grants made under this section,
consistent with applicable Federal law, regulation, and
Department policies relating to patient protections,
data security, and privacy.
(2) Rule of construction.--Nothing in this section shall be
construed to authorize the Secretary, or an independent
organization that enters into an agreement with the Secretary
under paragraph (1), to require prior approval of, or changes
to, any clinical protocol, study design, outcome measures, or
follow-up schedule established by an eligible entity that
receives a grant under this section, except as necessary to
ensure compliance with applicable Federal laws and regulations
relating to human subjects protections and patient safety.
(3) Report.--An agreement under paragraph (1) shall include
a requirement that the independent organization submits to
Congress and the Secretary a comprehensive report that
includes--
(A) the findings of the studies required under such
agreement;
(B) recommendations with respect to the expansion
of successful TBI treatment methodologies and standard
of care recommendations, if any, developed pursuant to
the research grant program; and
(C) to the extent available from the reports and
study materials of grant recipients, a summary of--
(i) the durability of outcomes at
approximately six months following completion
of treatment, if collected under the applicable
clinical protocol;
(ii) adverse events and serious adverse
events, including self-harm or suicide-related
events, if collected under the applicable
clinical protocol or in the ordinary course of
care; and
(iii) aggregate expenditures of grant
funds, including administrative or overhead
costs.
(4) Surveys.--The Secretary may conduct surveys of any
independent organization that enters into an agreement with the
Secretary under paragraph (1) in order to assess the
effectiveness of such organization in administering the
research grant program under this section.
(f) Available Amounts; Authorization of Appropriations.--
(1) Available amounts.--The Secretary may use amounts
available to the Secretary for the operating budget of the
National Center for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder to carry out
the research grant program under this section, if the use of
such amounts supplements, and does not supplant, amounts
otherwise available for Department programs and services.
(2) Authorization of appropriations.--There is authorized
to be appropriated to the Secretary $10,000,000 for each of
fiscal years 2026 through 2028 to carry out this section.
(g) Termination Date.--The authority of the Secretary to carry out
the research grant program under this section shall terminate on the
date that is three years after the date of the enactment of this Act.
SEC. 4. REPORTS TO CONGRESS.
Not later than two years after the date on which the Secretary
commences the research grant program under tsection 2, and on an annual
basis thereafter until the termination date specified in subsection (h)
of such section, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report on the
grant programs under sections 2 and 3. Each such report shall include--
(1) the findings of the studies under section 2(f)(2);
(2) a description of any agreement entered into by the
Secretary under section 3(e)(1);
(3) recommendations of the Secretary with respect to policy
and programmatic improvements to services of the Department to
treat mTBI among veterans;
(4) any findings derived from surveys conducted under
section 3(e)(4), including any recommendations of the Secretary
for improvements to the structure, oversight, administration,
or performance of the independent organization that enters into
an agreement with the Secretary under section 3(e)(1); and
(5) such other matters as the Secretary determines
appropriate.
SEC. 5. MODIFICATION OF CERTAIN HOUSING LOAN FEES.
The loan fee table in section 3729(b)(2) of title 38, United States
Code, is amended by striking ``June 9, 2034'' each place it appears and
inserting ``July 14, 2034''.
SEC. 6. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) The terms ``chronic mild traumatic brain injury'' and
``mTBI'' mean a mild traumatic brain injury with symptoms that
persist for not fewer than six months after the inciting
injury, as determined using validated clinical criteria.
(2) The term ``nonprofit organization''--
(A) means an organization described in section
501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and
exempt from taxation under section 501(a) of such Code;
and
(B) includes such an organization that is a
hospital, nonprofit health system, academic medical
center, or clinic that delivers neurorehabilitation
care or conducts clinical research relating to mTBI.
(3) The term ``veteran'' has the meaning given such term in
section 101 of title 38, United States Code.
Union Calendar No. 735
119th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 6993
[Report No. 119-838]
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out programs to
award grants to eligible entities to conduct research with respect to
treatments for traumatic brain injury prospective randomized control
trials for neurorehabilitation treatments, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
October 1, 2026
Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole
House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed