Sponsors (2)
The bill expands VA access to promising psychedelic-assisted therapies and funds research to speed evidence development, while creating ongoing taxpayer costs, limited initial geographic access, and notable regulatory, safety, and transparency risks that will need management.
Veterans with PTSD, depression, chronic pain, or substance use disorders gain access to designated VA treatment centers offering innovative (including psychedelic-assisted) therapies.
Provides $30 million per year to support research and education on these therapies, which can accelerate development of evidence-based treatments for veterans.
Requires peer-review selection and an expert panel to ensure centers are chosen based on scientific and clinical merit, improving quality of care.
Including currently controlled substances (MDMA, psilocybin, ibogaine, etc.) raises legal, regulatory, and clinical safety risks that will require careful oversight and could cause adverse events or slow implementation.
Access will be limited at first — the program designates at least five centers and depends on appropriations — leaving many veterans, especially in rural areas, without local access.
Taxpayers face ongoing costs from the authorized $30 million per year plus potential additional allocations from VA medical accounts.
Based on analysis of 4 sections of legislative text.
Creates VA centers to research, evaluate, and expand access to innovative therapies for specified conditions, authorizing $30M/year and systemwide coordination and reporting.
Introduced March 9, 2026 by Ruben Gallego · Last progress March 9, 2026
Creates a VA program to designate at least five medical facilities as centers of excellence to research, evaluate, and expand access to "innovative therapies" for specified conditions. The VA must select facilities by competitive peer review, ensure geographic distribution and certain institutional affiliations, set up a national data repository and consortia for broader access, and report to Congressional veterans committees; $30 million per year is authorized to support center research and education.