H.R. 6993 — BEACON Act of 2026

This section establishes the three-year TBI Innovation Grant Program under which the Secretary of Veterans Affairs awards grants of up to $5 million per fiscal year to eligible nonprofits, academic institutions, non-Department health care providers, and partnerships. The grants support development and evaluation of patient-centered neurorehabilitation treatments for chronic mild traumatic brain injury in veterans, including clinical studies measuring effects on mental health, suicidality, and long-term outcomes, plus clinician training, veteran outreach, and coordination with Veterans Health Administration facilities for referrals and continuity of care.

This section establishes a Department of Veterans Affairs grant program to fund independent research studies and applied treatment programs on supplemental neurorehabilitation approaches for mild traumatic brain injury in veterans. It requires the Secretary to award four grants of up to $625,000 each for exploratory or pilot projects and five grants of up to $1,500,000 each for collaborative initiatives each fiscal year, with at least three of the smaller grants going to nonprofit organizations, and directs the Secretary to contract with an independent organization to administer the program, conduct randomized controlled trials, evaluate outcomes, and submit annual and comprehensive reports to Congress.

This section requires the Secretary to submit a report to Congress on the grant programs under sections 2 and 3, beginning two years after the research grant program commences and annually thereafter until termination. The report must include findings from studies under section 2(f)(2), descriptions of agreements under section 3(e)(1), recommendations for policy and programmatic improvements to Department services treating mTBI among veterans, findings from surveys under section 3(e)(4) on the independent organization, and other appropriate matters.

This section defines “chronic mild traumatic brain injury” and “mTBI” as a mild traumatic brain injury with symptoms persisting for at least six months after the injury, “nonprofit organization” as a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) entity that includes hospitals, health systems, academic medical centers, or clinics providing neurorehabilitation or mTBI research, and “veteran” under 38 U.S.C. 101.