Congress·In Committee·H.R. 6993

Congress Proposes $60 Million for New Veteran Brain Injury Research and Suicide Prevention Programs

BEACON Act of 2026

2 months ago·View on Congress.gov

Part of: Congress Doubles Proposed Funding for Veteran Brain Injury Research

Legislative Progress

House

Senate

President

Law

Key Points

This bill creates a new grant program within the Department of Veterans Affairs to find better ways to treat veterans with mild traumatic brain injuries. It focuses on brain rehabilitation, which helps the brain recover and function better after an injury, specifically for those dealing with long-term symptoms.
The program would give up to $5 million per year to universities, nonprofits, and private healthcare providers to test new treatments. These projects will focus on care that puts the patient first and explores options that do not rely only on traditional drugs or medicine.
A major goal of this research is to improve mental health and lower the risk of suicide among veterans. By finding better ways to treat brain injuries, the program aims to reduce depression and substance use issues that often affect those who have suffered head trauma during their military service.
The plan would run for three years and includes $30 million for the main treatment grants plus another $10 million each year for independent research studies. The VA would be required to report back to Congress on which treatments work best so they can be used more widely in the future.

VeteransHealthcareMedicare Medicaid

Impact Analysis

Personal Impact

How this policy affects specific groups of people

Positive Impacts(3)

Military Veteran

Helps

Veterans with mild traumatic brain injuries would gain access to new research-backed treatments and rehabilitation options.

Veterans Benefits

Helps

Creates two new grant programs totaling $60M to develop and test better brain injury treatments through the VA.

Mental Health

Helps

Research specifically targets reducing depression, substance use, and suicide risk tied to brain injuries in veterans.

Milestones

3 milestones3 actions

Jan 22, 2026House

Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.

Jan 9, 2026House

Referred to the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs.

Jan 9, 2026

Introduced in House

What Happens Next

Projected impacts based on AI analysis

VA must publish regulations for the new grant programs

This sets the rules for who can apply for grants and how the money will be distributed to researchers.

Programs expire after three years

Congress will decide whether the treatments discovered are effective enough to continue or expand the program.

Related News

2 articles

Military.com·about 2 months ago

Veterans' 2026 Priorities Put Health Care, Suicide Prevention to Congress

Lawmakers are pushing the BEACON Act as a top 2026 priority to address the veteran suicide crisis by expanding access to innovative, non-pharmacological TBI treatments outside of traditional VA facilities.

The Alpena News·2 months ago

Bergman, Elfreth Introduce BEACON Act to expand care for veterans with traumatic brain injury

Bipartisan legislation introduced by Reps. Bergman and Elfreth seeks to modernize VA brain injury care through two new grant programs targeting neurorehabilitation and independent research.