GOP Senator To File Bill Promoting Psychedelics Research And Treatment For Veterans

A new Senate bill is being filed that would promote research into the
therapeutic potential psychedelics, aiming to create a new office in the
Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) that would advance the development
innovative treatments for serious mental health conditions and assist in
reviewing the scheduling status of drugs like psilocybin, ibogaine and MDMA.

The legislation—titled the “Veterans Health Administration Novel
Therapeutics Preparedness Act”—is being sponsored by Sen. Tim Sheehy
(R-MT). It would direct the VA to take steps to streamline studies into
psychedelics and other emerging therapies, according to bill text obtained
by Marijuana Moment.

This is one of the latest examples of congressional efforts to encourage
scientific investigations into psychedelics, with a focus on military
veterans with conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD),
treatment-resistant depression, substance use disorder, traumatic brain
injury (TBI), chronic pain and more.

The bill is expected to be formally filed on Wednesday, according to a
source familiar with the planning. Marijuana Moment reached out to Sheehy’s
office for comment, but a representative was not immediately available.

“Emerging therapeutic interventions, including certain psychedelic-assisted
therapies under evaluation by the Food and Drug Administration as of the
date of the enactment of this Act, may significantly alter the treatment
landscape for post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, and other mental
health conditions affecting veterans,” a findings section of the bill says.

“The administration of certain emerging therapies may require intensive
clinical engagement, interdisciplinary teams, dedicated clinical space,
structured preparation, and post-treatment integration that differ
substantially from traditional outpatient mental health services,” it
continues, adding that VA is “uniquely positioned to deliver integrated,
veteran-centered care that combines medical, mental health, and peer
support services within a single system of care.”

That’s the only explicit mention of “psychedelics” in the legislation, and
it doesn’t list specific psychedelic substances that would be prioritized
for research, but that’s a common feature of recently filed bills touching
on the issue, with various other examples using catchall terminology like
innovative or novel treatments or therapies effectively serving as a
stand-in for “psychedelics.”

Under the measure, a new Office of Novel Therapeutics would be established
under the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) to facilitate the research
initiatives. Studies exploring the alternative treatments would focus on
substances such as psychedelics that are under review for potential
approval by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

“Absent centralized governance and implementation planning, the Department
may face delays, safety risks, or inconsistent access following regulatory
approval of such therapies,” the bill’s findings section says.
“Establishing a dedicated Office of Novel Therapeutics will ensure that the
Department is prepared to responsibly evaluate, research, and implement
emerging treatment modalities consistent with patient safety and
evidence-based practice.”

There would be at least one “Center of Excellence” to facilitate the
program in each VA regional district to help develop a national model for
the initiative. A Veteran Advisory Committee would be established,
comprised of veterans, experts and health professionals, to advise on
matters such as access barriers and safety protocols.

VA would also need to coordinate with other federal agencies—including the
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), FDA, Centers for
Medicaid & Medicare Services (CMS), the Department of Defense (DOD) and
Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)—to consider regulatory issues,
possible rescheduling action for novel therapies and means of providing
health care coverage for psychedelics access and treatment.

VA would need to furnish annual reports to Congress updating lawmakers on
its progress. Within 180 days of the bill’s enactment, the department would
need to report on practical considerations such as staffing needs and
regulatory barriers.

The bill is somewhat similar in intent to another bipartisan measure filed
earlier this month, sponsored by Sens. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) and David
McCormick (R-PA), that would provide $30 million in funding annually to
establish psychedelic-focused “centers for excellence” at VA facilities,
where veterans could receive novel treatment involving substances like
psilocybin, MDMA and ibogaine.

A House companion version of the bill—sponsored by Congressional
Psychedelics Advancing Therapies (PATH) Caucus co-chairs Reps. Lou Correa
(D-CA) and Jack Bergman (R-MI)—was introduced last year, but it has not yet
advanced in the chamber. The House and Senate measures are substantively
identical, with minor formatting differences.

Lawmakers and advocates supporting such reform bills notably have allies in
top positions within the Trump administration, including VA Secretary Doug
Collins and HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. who have both embraced
psychedelic policy reform.

Kennedy recently told Joe Rogan on a podcast episode that the
administration is “very anxious” to create a pathway for the novel therapies and
that officials across federal agencies want to “get it out to the public as
quickly as possible.”

Multiple veterans groups also recently advised congressional lawmakers
about the need to continue exploring psychedelics and marijuana as
alternative treatment options for the military veteran population at
hearings on Capitol Hill. The Wounded Warrior Project (WWP) and Veterans of
Foreign Wars (VFW) specifically cited the Innovative Therapies Centers of
Excellence Act as an example of a reform they’re backing.

Correa and Bergman, the House sponsors of that legislation, separately
filed a bill in January that would also promote research into the
therapeutic potential of certain psychedelics in the treatment of serious
mental health conditions experienced by veterans.

The bipartisan duo in January also discussed the importance of
strategically advancing psychedelics reform in a way that mitigates
bureaucratic conflict and the influence of outside interests. Even just one
misstep could threaten to upend the movement, they said.

Last year, the VA secretary touted his role in promoting psychedelics
access for veterans with serious mental health conditions, saying he
“opened that door probably wider than most ever thought” was possible. The
department in 2024 faced criticism after rejecting a grant application from
an organization that helps connect veterans to programs abroad where they
can receive psychedelic therapy to treat serious mental health conditions.

Meanwhile, in November, Kennedy, Vice President JD Vance, the FDA
commissioner and other Trump administration officials attended a “Make
America Healthy Again” summit that featured a session dedicated to
exploring psychedelic medicine.

In June, Kennedy said his agency is “absolutely committed” to expanding
research on the benefits of psychedelic therapy and, alongside of the head
of FDA, is aiming to provide legal access to such substances for military
veterans “within 12 months.”

The secretary also said in April that he had a “wonderful experience” with
LSD at 15 years old, which he took because he thought he’d be able to see
dinosaurs, as portrayed in a comic book he was a fan of.

Last October, Kennedy specifically criticized FDA under the prior
administration over the agency’s “suppression of psychedelics” and a
laundry list of other issues that he said amounted to a “war on public
health” that would end under the Trump administration.

*Read the text of the Veterans Health Administration Novel Therapeutics
Preparedness Act below:*

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Treatment For Veterans appeared first on Marijuana Moment.