# Precision Brain Health Research Act of 2025 - Plain Language Summary

## What This Bill Does

This bill expands and enhances the Department of Veterans Affairs' existing research program on precision medicine to focus specifically on brain health issues affecting veterans. It adds new research priorities, creates a data-sharing partnership between the VA and Department of Defense, and authorizes $5 million per year (through 2034) to fund these efforts. The bill particularly emphasizes studying the effects of repetitive low-level blast exposure—a common injury from military service—along with dementia and other brain and mental health conditions.

## Who Benefits

**Veterans** are the primary beneficiaries, particularly those who have experienced blast injuries or have brain and mental health conditions. The research aims to develop better treatments and diagnostic methods for these conditions. **Military personnel** may also benefit indirectly, as the research could lead to improved prevention and treatment strategies. The bill also involves the **National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine**, which will help validate research findings and provide expert oversight.

## Key Provisions

- **New research focus**: Adds repetitive low-level blast exposure and dementia as priority research areas
- **Data sharing**: Requires the VA and Department of Defense to share relevant health data to improve research
- **Specific studies**: Mandates at least two large-scale implementation studies, four quality improvement studies, and one translational research study on growth hormone therapy for blast injury patients
- **Oversight and reporting**: Requires regular reports to Congress every two years and an independent assessment by the National Academies within 60 days of the bill's enactment

Precision Brain Health Research Act of 2025

Moran, Jerry

Precision Brain Health Research Act of 2025This bill expands the Scott Hannon Initiative for Precision Mental Health, a program at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).Specifically, the bill expands the scope of the initiative by requiring the identification and validation of brain and mental health&nbsp;biomarkers among veterans for repetitive low-level blast exposure, dementia, and other such brain conditions. Currently, the initiative addresses several other conditions such as depression and post-traumatic stress disorder.The VA must work with the Department of Defense to establish a data-sharing partnership under the initiative.The bill requires the VA to conduct various research studies about repetitive low-level blast exposure under the initiative.The VA must seek to enter into a contract with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to work in tandem with the initiative on validation of brain and mental health&nbsp;biomarkers among veterans and report on the findings at least once every two years.The VA must assess all in progress and planned translational research studies under the initiative and report to Congress on the assessment.Additionally, the VA must report to Congress on the initiative at least once every two years and include recommendations for immediate administrative and legislative action to improve the initiative.The bill authorizes the initiative through FY2034.