A doctor holds MRI results of a brain (Photo: Anna Shvets)
Lawmakers are advancing a new effort to investigate the long-term mental and cognitive effects of repeated low-level blast exposure among Service Members and Veterans.
The Precision Brain Health Research Act of 2025, introduced by Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee Chairman Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) and Sen. Angus King (I-Maine), would expand ongoing brain health research within the VA. The bill seeks to determine how routine military activities, including firing heavy weapons or using explosives, may contribute to brain injuries, cognitive decline, and mental health challenges.
Unlike high-impact blasts from roadside bombs, low-level blasts don’t often result in visible or immediate trauma. However, growing evidence shows these exposures can cause inflammation, brain cell damage, and long-term issues with memory, attention, and emotional regulation. Despite the risk, the Defense Department acknowledges that its understanding of the effects remains incomplete.
The bill builds on the existing Scott Hannon Initiative for Precision Mental Health by including conditions related to repetitive low-level blast exposure, dementia, and other brain-related concerns. It would direct the VA to work with DOD on a data-sharing partnership, track Veterans’ exposure histories, and examine effective treatments already showing positive outcomes in the VA system.
To ensure scientific rigor, the VA would also collaborate with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to validate biomarkers for brain and mental health conditions. These findings would be reported to Congress every two years, alongside assessments of research progress and treatment success rates.
“This legislation will help us start to better understand why and how blast exposures are impacting Service Members and Veterans,” Moran said. “It is a step toward providing Veterans the evidence-based health care and benefits they have earned and deserve.”
King stated that his home state of Maine has seen firsthand the tragic consequences of untreated brain injuries.
“The bottom line is we must expand our understanding of the impact all blasts have on mental health, so that we can take proactive measures and protect the long-term health and well-being of our military community,” he said.
The bill sets aside $5 million each year through fiscal year 2034 and calls for research into growth hormone therapy, a treatment that has shown potential to improve outcomes for Veterans with traumatic brain injuries.
Veterans groups, including The American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, and Wounded Warrior Project, have endorsed the bill. The American Legion cited its longstanding support for traumatic brain injury and PTSD programs in a Statement for the Record submitted for the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs’ May 21 hearing, calling for more published, peer-reviewed research on blast-related injuries.
A Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee meeting to discuss the legislation is scheduled for July 30.
Author: Rikki Almanza
Rikki is a Web Content Coordinator for the American Legion, Department of California. With a deep-rooted family connection to the military, Rikki is committed to using her skills and knowledge to provide valuable assistance and resources to servicemembers and veterans.
