VA opens HBOT pilot for veteran brain injury — but only if donations flow
H.R. 1336 — Veterans National Traumatic Brain Injury Treatment Act · Filed by Gregory Murphy (R-NC) · 15 cosponsors · Introduced Feb 13, 2025 · Reported out
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What it does
This bill directs the VA to run a three-year pilot program offering hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) to veterans with traumatic brain injury or PTSD at two regional VA networks. The program is funded entirely by private donations to a dedicated VA fund, and the VA must ensure treatment facilities are accredited by recognized medical organizations. The bill also requires the Government Accountability Office to update its 2016 research report on HBOT's effectiveness for these conditions within one year.
Why we flagged it
The bill's core function is establishing a time-limited, donation-funded pilot to test HBOT as a treatment for veteran TBI and PTSD, with mandatory accreditation and GAO oversight. This is straightforward veteran healthcare policy, not a tax provision, subsidy, or deregulation.
- Section 4 amends 38 USC 5503(7) to extend pension payment limits to October 30, 2034 — substantively unrelated to HBOT pilot or TBI/PTSD treatment.
What the text implies
- The pilot's success or failure may influence future VA coverage decisions on HBOT for other conditions (chronic wounds, decompression sickness), potentially expanding or constraining access beyond TBI/PTSD.
- Donation-only funding model creates dependency on private philanthropy for veteran care; if donations dry up, the program terminates regardless of clinical outcomes or veteran need.
- GAO report requirement may generate evidence that contradicts current VA policy or FDA guidance, potentially triggering pressure for broader HBOT coverage or, conversely, formal exclusion.
- Accreditation requirement (Joint Commission, UHMS, or equivalent) may limit facility options in rural areas or regions with fewer accredited hyperbaric centers, creating geographic access disparities.
Section numbers refer to the bill text the analysis read — linked under Primary records below.
Who it affects
Veterans with TBI and PTSD gain access to a potentially therapeutic treatment option at no cost to them, with quality safeguards (accreditation requirements) and independent research oversight. The pilot is time-limited and donation-funded, avoiding direct taxpayer burden while testing clinical value.
Who stands to gain
- hyperbaric oxygen therapy equipment manufacturers
- accredited medical facilities providing HBOT services
- private healthcare providers contracted under VA section 1703(5)
Named in the bill
Department of Veterans Affairs, Joint Commission on Accreditation of Hospital Organizations, Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society, Food and Drug Administration, Government Accountability Office, Veterans Integrated Service Networks, HAS (Hyperbaric Air Systems or similar HBOT device manufacturers)
Where it stands
15 cosponsors: 10 Republicans, 5 Democrats.
- Feb 13, 2025 — Introduced · Congress.gov: “Introduced in House”
- Feb 13, 2025 — Referred to House Committee on Veterans' Affairs · Congress.gov: “Referred to the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs”
- Mar 25, 2025 — Markup held in committee · Congress.gov: “Subcommittee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held”
- Oct 17, 2025 — Reported out of committee · Congress.gov: “Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 296”
Dates and quoted wording are Congress.gov's action record; the timeline shows status changes, not every procedural step.
Money around this bill
2 lobbying clients named this bill on 4 disclosure filings across 2 quarters, Dec 2025 to Jun 2026. Those filings disclosed $509,800 in lobbying spend. A filing names 139 bills on average, so that figure is what each filing reported, not a share belonging to this bill.
More lobbying clients named this bill than 41% of bills with at least one filing.
Gregory Murphy, the sponsor, reported $1,068,698 in PAC receipts in the 2026 cycle.
- Disabled American Veterans — $310,451 on 2 filings
- Paralyzed Veterans of America — $199,349 on 2 filings
Lobbying Disclosure Act filings through Jul 21, 2026. A filing shows who paid to lobby on a bill it names, not what changed.
How this was measured
Analysis — Quorum's AI read the bill text published by Congress.gov (3,040 characters) on Jul 2, 2026. Section numbers in the findings refer to that text, linked below; transparency and hidden-provision scores are compared against the median of 16,222 analysed bills.
Status and sponsors — Congress.gov's bill record — actions, committee referrals and cosponsors — loaded nightly. The timeline shows status changes, not every procedural action.
Money — Senate Lobbying Disclosure Act filings whose specific-issue field names this bill for quarters ending Dec 2025 to Jun 2026. A filing's amount is reported whole beside the median number of bills a filing names; it is never divided across them. PAC receipts are FEC-reported contributions to the sponsor's candidate committee in the 2026 cycle.
As of — lobbying records through Jul 21, 2026 · page rendered 2026-10-20.
“VA opens HBOT pilot for veteran brain injury — but only if donations flow” QuorumCivic. https://share.quorumcivic.app/bill/119/hr1336 Report an error
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