VA gets green light to test psychedelic therapies for veteran PTSD
H.R. 7091 — Expanding Veterans’ Access to Emerging Treatments Act · Filed by Jack Bergman (R-MI) · 3 cosponsors · Introduced Jan 15, 2026 · Referred to committee
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What it does
This bill directs the VA to establish a research program allowing veterans with conditions like PTSD, chronic pain, and substance use disorders to participate in clinical trials or access experimental treatments—including psychedelic-assisted therapies (MDMA, psilocybin, ketamine, ibogaine) and emerging medical devices—under compassionate-use protocols. The program runs for two years, with a mandatory review and the Secretary's discretion to extend or terminate.
Why we flagged it
The bill's core mechanism is authorizing the VA to conduct clinical trials and compassionate-use access for experimental treatments addressing veteran-specific conditions. It is a public-health measure aimed at expanding therapeutic options for a defined beneficiary population (veterans), not a market intervention or private carve-out.
What the text implies
- Psychedelic-assisted therapies (MDMA, psilocybin) remain Schedule I controlled substances under federal law; this bill does not change that status but authorizes VA research under investigational protocols, potentially creating a pathway for future rescheduling or regulatory change if trials show efficacy.
- The Secretary's discretion to designate 'such other treatments' and 'such other conditions' as covered creates open-ended authority to expand the program's scope without additional congressional action, subject only to the two-year sunset and Secretary's discretion to extend.
The full analysis lists 4 implications of this text.
Who stands to gain
Clinical research organizations conducting VA-sponsored trials; Pharmaceutical companies developing psychedelic-assisted therapies (MAPS, Compass Pathways, Usona In; Medical device manufacturers (deep brain stimulation, hyperbaric oxygen therapy)