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HR 9547

Veterans and Servicemembers PTSD Emerging Treatment Review Act of 2026

119th Congress Introduced by Don Bacon and 2 co-sponsors

The bill would require a DoD report to Congress evaluating emergent, investigational PTSD treatments for service members and veterans, including safety, access, and regulatory path

Introduced in House
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Bill Summary · HR 9547

Overview

HR 9547, the Veterans and Servicemembers PTSD Emerging Treatment Review Act of 2026, would direct the Secretary of Defense to prepare and submit a report to Congress evaluating emerging investigational treatment options for treatment-resistant post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among veterans, active-duty servicemembers, and those transitioning to civilian life. The bill focuses on assessing safety, feasibility, regulatory pathways, and operational considerations for potential expanded access or pilot programs involving investigational therapies, including Schedule I substances, while upholding safety and regulatory safeguards.

Main Purpose and Intent

  • To inform Congress about whether emerging clinical research could offer future benefits for service members and veterans with treatment-resistant PTSD.
  • To examine how new treatments could fit into force health protection, medical readiness, suicide prevention, and civilian-to-military transition planning.
  • To outline regulatory, logistical, and financing aspects of potential expanded access or pilot activities starting in FY 2027.

Key Provisions and Changes

  • Findings: Establishes the relevance of PTSD to force health and transition, notes the burden on reserve components and National Guard members who may face cumulative trauma, and cites limitations of current therapies. It highlights ongoing interest in data from Arizona-licensed trials exploring naturally derived, whole-psilocybin therapies in veteran populations and the role of public-private partnerships in developing investigational products.
  • Report Deadline: The Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs must submit the report to congressional defense committees within 180 days of enactment.
  • Content of the Report (elements):
    • Summary and analysis of safety, dosing, and adverse event data from the covered clinical trial(s) and their applicability to armed forces members.
    • Implications for force health protection, medical readiness, and suicide prevention; identification of gaps in treatment options.
    • Description of legal/regulatory requirements for any potential expanded access pathway involving an investigational Schedule I substance (coordination with FDA and DEA).
    • Assessment of applicability of the Federal Right to Try pathway and the executive order on accelerating medical treatments for serious mental illness for treatment-resistant PTSD and comorbidities.
    • Considerations for continuity of care during transitions from military treatment facilities to Veterans Health Administration care, including eligibility, oversight, consent, safety monitoring, and adverse event reporting.
    • Resource and infrastructure needs, including a proposed timeline for pilots or broader research starting in FY 2027 and beyond.
  • Coordination: Requires collaboration with the Defense Health Agency, and consultation with the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Department of Health and Human Services, FDA, DEA, and other relevant federal entities.
  • Form: The report should be unclassified, with a classified annex if necessary.
  • Definitions: Includes “covered clinical trial” (the 2026 Arizona open-label Phase 1/Phase 2 study on organic psilocybin-containing mushrooms for PTSD) and references to congressional defense committees.

Who Would Be Affected

  • Active-duty military personnel, members of the Reserve Component and National Guard, veterans, and those transitioning to civilian life who have treatment-resistant PTSD.
  • Federal agencies involved in clinical research, drug regulation, and health care delivery (DoD, VA, HHS, FDA, DEA).
  • Potential participants in investigational treatments (subject to regulatory pathways and safety monitoring).

Procedural and Timeline Aspects

  • 180-day reporting deadline from enactment for the DoD to provide a comprehensive assessment.
  • Potential initiation of pilot activities or expanded research in FY 2027, contingent on findings and resource planning.
  • Requires cross-agency coordination and adherence to federal research, safety, and regulatory frameworks, including rights-to-try provisions and executive-ordered initiatives for accelerating treatment access.

Notes

  • The bill recognizes interest in investigational approaches, including psilocybin-based therapies, within regulated clinical trial contexts and emphasizes safety, regulatory compliance, and continuity of care across military and veteran health systems.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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