119-s862

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 862 Introduced in Senate

    (IS) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 S. 862

 To amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of 
 Veterans Affairs to furnish hyperbaric oxygen therapy to certain 
veterans with traumatic brain injury or post-traumatic stress disorder.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

 March 5, 2025

Mr. Tuberville (for himself, Mr. Hoeven, and Mr. Cramer) introduced the 
 following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on 
 Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

 A BILL

 To amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of 
 Veterans Affairs to furnish hyperbaric oxygen therapy to certain 
veterans with traumatic brain injury or post-traumatic stress disorder.

 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 ``HBOT Access Act of 2025''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

 Congress finds the following:

    (1) The suicide rate among veterans is 18 per day.

    (2) Veterans are at a higher risk of suicide than the 
 general population of the United States and Congress must 
 provide continued support at the Federal, State, and local 
 levels to combat the pandemic of veteran suicide.

    (3) Veterans deserve every opportunity to enjoy the freedom 
 that they fought for overseas.

    (4) The Department of Veterans Affairs should consider and 
 establish alternate treatments for traumatic brain injury and 
 post-traumatic stress disorder that do not require prescription 
 drugs, opioids, or invasive procedures.

    (5) Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is a proven treatment for 
 symptoms of traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress 
 disorder and should be accessible to veterans who are at a 
 high-risk of suicide or self-harm.

SEC. 3. HYPERBARIC OXYGEN THERAPY FOR VETERANS WITH TRAUMATIC BRAIN 
 INJURY OR POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER.

    (a) In General.--Subchapter II of chapter 17 of title 38, United 
States Code, is amended by inserting after 

section 1710E the following 
new section:
``

Sec. 1710F. Traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress 
 disorder: hyperbaric oxygen therapy
 ``

    (a) Authority.--The Secretary shall furnish hyperbaric oxygen 
therapy to a veteran who--
 ``

    (1) has a condition specified in subsection

    (b) ; and
 ``

    (2) has used not fewer than two evidence-based treatment 
 options for such condition.
 ``

    (b) Covered Conditions.--The conditions specified in this 
subsection are the following:
 ``

    (1) Traumatic brain injury.
 ``

    (2) Post-traumatic stress disorder.''.

    (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections at the beginning of 
such chapter is amended by inserting after the item relating to 

section 1710E the following new item:

``1710F. Traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress disorder: 
 hyperbaric oxygen therapy.''.
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