Section 1 Short title
This Act may be cited as the “Veterans National Traumatic Brain Injury Treatment Act”.
Veterans National Traumatic Brain Injury Treatment Act
A BILL
To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish a pilot program to furnish hyperbaric oxygen therapy to a veteran who has a traumatic brain injury or post-traumatic stress disorder.
Sec. 2 Pilot program to furnish hyperbaric oxygen therapy to a veteran with traumatic brain injury or post-traumatic stress disorder
Establishment— The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall implement a pilot program to furnish HBOT to a veteran who has a traumatic brain injury or post-traumatic stress disorder through a health care provider described in section 1703(c)(5) of title 38, United States Code.
Locations— The Secretary shall select two Veterans Integrated Service Networks in which to operate the pilot program.
Accreditation required— The Secretary shall ensure that any medical facility at which a veteran who has a traumatic brain injury or post-traumatic stress disorder receives HBOT pursuant to the pilot program is accredited by—
the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Hospital Organizations;
the Undersea and Hyberbaric Medical Society; or
another appropriate organization that has expertise and objectivity comparable to that of the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Hospital Organizations or the Undersea and Hyberbaric Medical Society.
Funding—
There is in the general fund of the Treasury a fund to be known as the “VA HBOT Fund” (in this Act referred to as the “Fund”).
The sole source of monies for the Fund shall be donations received by the Secretary for express purposes of the Fund.
Amounts in the Fund shall be available to the Secretary without fiscal year limitation to pay for HBOT under subsection (a).
The Fund shall terminate on the termination date under subsection (e).
Termination— The pilot program shall terminate on the day that is three years after the date of the enactment of this Act.
HBOT defined— In this Act, the term “HBOT” means hyperbaric oxygen therapy with a medical device—
approved by the Food and Drug Administration; or
issued an investigational device exemption by the Food and Drug Administration.
Sec. 3 GAO report on the use of hyperbaric oxygen therapy to treat traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress disorder
Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States shall submit to the Committees on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate and House of Representatives an update to the report titled “Research on Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy to Treat Traumatic Brain Injury and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder” (GAO-16-154). Such report shall include the assessment of the Comptroller General of clinical trials conducted, since the publication of such report—
regarding the use of hyperbaric oxygen therapy to treat traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress disorder; and
by—
the Secretary of Veterans Affairs;
the Secretary of Defense; and
private entities.
Sec. 4 Extension of certain limits on payments of pension
Section 5503(d)(7) of title 38, United States Code, is amended by striking “November 30, 2031” and inserting “October 30, 2034”.