Sheehy Introduces Bipartisan Veterans Health Administration Novel Therapeutics Preparedness Act

U.S. SENATE – Senator Tim Sheehy (R-Mont.) introduced the pro-veteran, bipartisan Veterans Health Administration Novel Therapeutics Preparedness Act to increase veterans’ access to innovative health care and ensure the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is prepared to better care for veterans with emerging mental health therapies.

“After young Americans who signed up to fight for our nation and were willing to give up their own lives for others come home, we better make sure the VA is ready to care for them and that they have access to the best, most innovative care available. The VA’s core mission is to care for veterans, and this bipartisan bill will help the hardworking men and women at the VA fulfill that critical mission,” said Senator Sheehy.

This bill would establish a dedicated Office of Novel Therapeutics within the VA and ensure the department is prepared to safely evaluate and implement emerging therapies by establishing centralized governance, workforce readiness planning, and clinical implementation infrastructure within the Veterans Health Administration.

Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), and John Boozman (R-Ark.) joined Senator Sheehy in introducing the bill.

“Veterans suffering from invisible wounds like PTSD and depression deserve the same level of care from their VA as those with physical wounds, and it’s past time we do more to ensure our VA is equipped and prepared to navigate these Veterans’ unique needs. Our bipartisan legislation recognizes that the VA is uniquely positioned to oversee and administer this care as our Veterans’ medical center home and would cut red tape and establish groundbreaking infrastructure to more quickly review and approve emerging therapeutics for our wounded warriors. Equally important, it would require annual reports to Congress on clinical outcomes, research and success from innovative therapies so we could evaluate what works and establish those best practices Department-wide. Our bill is about making our VA work better for our heroes, and that should always be a bipartisan matter,” said Senator Duckworth.

“When I got back from Iraq, I saw fellow Marines struggle in ways we weren’t prepared to treat. There’s no one way to address veterans’ mental health, and for those who don’t respond to existing treatments, we need to look at new ones. Emerging therapies like psychedelic treatment may offer real hope for veterans with PTSD when nothing else has. This bill makes sure we’re exploring every option to support them,” said Senator Gallego.

“We owe it to veterans to ensure the VA can effectively facilitate access to new therapies and care upon FDA approval. Doing so will give them more options to improve their health, including recovering from the invisible wounds that represent a unique challenge to their well-being. I am proud of this bipartisan, proactive effort to meet the needs of our former servicemembers who have earned this support for all they have given to defend our nation and freedoms,” said Senator Boozman.

Statements of Support:
“As innovation in alternative therapies accelerates and studies on their effectiveness show increasingly clear results, our healthcare system has not kept pace and veterans are the ones paying the price: physically, mentally, and too often, financially. After 20 years of war, the post-9/11 generation is still carrying invisible and visible wounds, and we owe them access to the most effective care available today, not years from now. We welcome Senator Sheehy’s VHA Novel Therapeutics Preparedness Act, which lays the foundation needed to responsibly deliver breakthrough treatments to veterans effectively and efficiently. After two decades of war, we owe them more than promises—we owe them delivery. This legislation moves innovation into real access for veterans now and we applaud this meaningful action.” – Dr. Kyleanne Hunter, CEO of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America

“Veterans suffering from PTSD, treatment-resistant depression, and other complex mental health conditions deserve access to the most promising emerging therapies—and they deserve a VA that is prepared to deliver them safely and effectively. This legislation takes a critical step by building the necessary infrastructure, workforce capacity, and clinical standards before these therapies arrive—not after. We thank Sens. Sheehy, Boozman, Duckworth, and Gallego for their leadership on this important legislation, which will help ensure veterans can access cutting-edge treatments when they need them most—especially as they transition from the battlefield, rather than decades later.” – Jim Marszalek, Executive Director, Disabled American Veterans Washington Headquarters

Background:
Emerging therapeutic interventions, including certain psychedelic-assisted therapies currently under FDA review, may significantly change how conditions such as PTSD, treatment-resistant depression, substance use disorders, traumatic brain injury, and chronic pain are treated. These therapies often require intensive clinical oversight, interdisciplinary care teams, and structured preparation and integration that differ from traditional outpatient care.

The bill aims to ensure the VA is prepared to safely implement emerging mental health treatments as they become available; strengthen coordination between research, clinical operations, and workforce training within VA; position the VA to lead the responsible evaluation and implementation of innovative therapies for veterans with complex mental health and brain health conditions; and help ensure veterans can access emerging treatments within VA’s integrated healthcare system rather than relying on costly or fragmented care outside the Department.

Read more on the bill HERE.

Read the full text of the bill HERE.