Congress·In Committee·H.R. 2623

Rep. Correa Leads Bipartisan Push to Create VA Centers for Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy

Innovative Therapies Centers of Excellence Act of 2025

10 months ago·View on Congress.gov

Legislative Progress

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Key Points

The bill would require the VA to designate at least five medical facilities as "innovative therapies centers of excellence" focused on researching and delivering cutting-edge treatments to veterans. These centers must be geographically distributed across the country.
From policy text
“The Secretary, upon the recommendation of the Under Secretary for Health, shall designate not less than five Department medical facilities as the locations for innovative therapies centers of excellence.”
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The "innovative therapies" specifically named in the bill include psychedelic and psychedelic-adjacent substances: MDMA, 5-MeO-DMT, ibogaine, ketamine, and psilocybin. The VA Under Secretary could add more therapies later.
The conditions targeted by these centers include PTSD, depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, chronic pain, Parkinson's disease, and substance use disorder — some of the most common and debilitating issues among veterans.
The bill authorizes $30 million per year to fund research and education at the centers, with additional funding possible from existing VA medical services and research accounts.
From policy text
“There are authorized to be appropriated $30,000,000 for each fiscal year for the support of the research and education activities of the centers established pursuant to subsection (a).”
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Each center must be affiliated with an accredited medical school, a school of psychiatry, and a school of social work, and proposals must pass a competitive peer review process to ensure high scientific and clinical standards.
From policy text
“The Secretary may not designate a Department medical facility as a location for a center under subsection (a) unless the peer review panel established under subsection (d) has determined under that subsection that the proposal submitted by such facility as a location for a new center under subsection (a) is among those proposals that meet the highest competitive standards of scientific and clinical merit.”
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VeteransHealthcare

Impact Analysis

Personal Impact

Who is affectedScoreImpactCertaintyScopeDurationSentiment

Scores: 1 = low, 5 = highSentiment: -5 to +5 (net benefit)

Milestones

3 milestones3 actions

May 8, 2025House

Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.

Apr 3, 2025House

Referred to the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs.

Apr 3, 2025

Introduced in House

Related News

4 articles

Military.com·9 days ago

'Saving Lives': Bill Would Fund Psychedelic Therapies for Military Veterans

New legislation introduced in Congress would require the VA to designate medical facilities as 'innovative therapies centers of excellence,' increasing federal funding to study therapeutic uses of psychedelics like MDMA and psilocybin for veterans struggling with PTSD and depression.

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Marijuana Moment·6 days ago

Bipartisan Senate Bill Would Create Psychedelic-Focused VA Research Centers To Explore Innovative Treatments For Veterans

Senators Ruben Gallego and Dave McCormick introduced the Senate version of a bill to mandate the VA establish centers of excellence for psychedelic-assisted treatments. The bill targets conditions including PTSD, substance use disorder, and chronic pain using substances like MDMA and ibogaine.

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Filter·6 days ago

Newly-Filed Federal Bill Would Require the VA to Study and Provide Psychedelic Treatments

The 'Innovative Therapies Centers of Excellence Act of 2025' (S. 4031) seeks to designate at least five VA facilities as specialized hubs for research and clinical care, appropriating $30 million annually for treatments involving MDMA, psilocybin, and DMT.

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