This bill expands the Scott Hannon Initiative for Precision Mental Health, a program at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).
Specifically, the bill expands the scope of the initiative by requiring the identification and validation of brain and mental health biomarkers among veterans for repetitive low-level blast exposure, dementia, and other such brain conditions. Currently, the initiative addresses several other conditions such as depression and post-traumatic stress disorder.
The VA must work with the Department of Defense to establish a data-sharing partnership under the initiative.
The bill requires the VA to conduct various research studies about repetitive low-level blast exposure under the initiative.
The VA must seek to enter into a contract with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to work in tandem with the initiative on validation of brain and mental health biomarkers among veterans and report on the findings at least once every two years.
The VA must assess all in progress and planned translational research studies under the initiative and report to Congress on the assessment.
Additionally, the VA must report to Congress on the initiative at least once every two years and include recommendations for immediate administrative and legislative action to improve the initiative.
The bill authorizes the initiative through FY2034.