HR-1336-119
Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 296.
Sponsored by Gregory Murphy (R-NC)
What it does
This bill would direct the VA to run a three-year pilot program offering hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) to veterans with traumatic brain injury or PTSD at accredited facilities in two Veterans Integrated Service Networks. The program would be funded solely through a new donation-based Treasury fund, not congressional appropriations, and would require a GAO report updating prior research on HBOT's effectiveness. A separate section extends an existing pension payment limit from 2031 to 2034.
Who benefits
Veterans with traumatic brain injury or PTSD living near the two selected VA networks, who would gain access to an alternative therapy not otherwise covered. Hyperbaric medicine providers and accredited clinics that could receive VA referrals and donation funding. Researchers and policymakers who would benefit from updated GAO data on HBOT's clinical effectiveness.
Who is hurt
Veterans outside the two selected networks who would not have access to the pilot program. Veterans relying on pension payments, who face an extended period (through 2034 instead of 2031) under the existing payment limitation. Because funding depends entirely on voluntary donations, the program's reach could be limited or inconsistent, potentially disadvantaging veterans expecting reliable access to treatment.
Supporters argue
Supporters argue that traumatic brain injury and PTSD affect hundreds of thousands of veterans, and that hyperbaric oxygen therapy shows promise as a treatment option that deserves rigorous evaluation through a controlled pilot. They contend that funding the program through voluntary donations rather than new appropriations allows the VA to test the therapy's value without adding to federal spending, while the required GAO report ensures Congress receives updated evidence before any wider rollout.
Opponents argue
Opponents argue that relying solely on donations rather than appropriated funds risks creating an unreliable, potentially inequitable program that could underdeliver on its promise to veterans in need. They contend that limiting the pilot to only two networks leaves most affected veterans without access, and that GAO's prior 2016 report already raised questions about HBOT's clinical evidence base that this bill does not fully resolve before expanding access.
Constitutional context
This bill falls within Congress's Article I, Section 8 spending power and its authority to organize veterans' benefits programs; it raises no significant separation-of-powers or individual-rights question, as the VA administers care within board discretion set by statute.
Checks and balances
Congress directs and constrains the VA's implementation of the pilot program and requires GAO oversight reporting, while the VA (executive branch) retains discretion over site selection and program administration.
Historical precedent
The VA has previously piloted alternative and complementary therapies for TBI and PTSD, and GAO's 2016 report (GAO-16-154) on HBOT specifically preceded this bill's directive to update that research.