ELLY GRIMM
• Leader & Times
The care of military veterans continues to be a big topic and recently, U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran helped introduce some legislation to help with just that.
Last Friday, Moran and Angus King (I-Maine) introduced legislation to direct the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and other research partners to comprehensively study the impacts of repetitive low-level blast injuries on veterans’ mental health, according to a release from Moran’s office.
The Precision Brain Health Research Act of 2025 would require VA to work with the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine to create a ten-year research plan to establish the effects of repetitive low-level blast injuries, the release continued, where benchmarks must be reported to Congress, in order to develop further legislation for veterans who suffer with the effects of these repetitive blast exposures.
“Research has linked low-level blasts, which servicemembers are exposed to during training and in combat, to increased occurrences of brain injuries, mental health conditions and suicides,” Moran noted in the release. “The Precision Brain Health Research Act will help us better understand why and how blast injuries are impacting veterans’ mental health and make certain VA is able to quickly incorporate these findings into care for veterans and enable them to receive an accurate diagnosis and treatment plan. This legislation is a step towards providing veterans the evidence-based health care and benefits they have earned and deserve, and I look forward to its passage.”
“Brain injuries are a common, yet misunderstood and often undetectable, injury – and we’re finding they can be caused by exposure to large explosions, as well as consistently being near smaller blasts such as when firing a rifle, so we need to confront this threat from all angles,” King noted in the release. “The bottom line is we must expand our understanding of the impact all blasts have on mental health, so that we can take proactive measures and protect the long-term health and well-being of our military community. Here in Maine we know all too well the horrible tragedies that can occur when brain injuries are left untreated. This commonsense bill builds off of previous efforts to deliver on our government’s sacred promise to provide our servicemembers, veterans and their families the very best care and support.”
This legislation builds off the Precision Brain Health initiative in the Commander John Scott Hannon Mental Health Care Improvement Act, which became law in 2020.
The full text of the bill can be found at https://www.veterans.senate.gov/services/files/E36B159D-42D8-4BEA-AD73-5CF61B910518.
Others also praised the legislation.
“America’s Warrior Partnership is proud to fully endorse the VA Precision Brain Health Act of 2025, led by Chairman Moran and Senator King,” Jim Lorraine, President & CEO, America’s Warrior Partnership, noted in the release from Moran’s office. “As a former member of United States Special Operations Command and an advocate for many I served with, I know firsthand the long-term health impact of repetitive exposure. For far too long, our service members and veterans have suffered with unexplained symptoms because of undetected brain injuries caused by repetitive low-level blasts during their time in training and in combat. This legislation will ensure these veterans will no longer be left behind.”
“The Navy Seal Foundation applauds U.S. Senators Jerry Moran and Angus King on their work leading the Precision Brain Health Research Act,” Robin King, CEO of The Navy Seal Foundation, noted in the release from Moran’s office. “This bill will begin groundbreaking federal research – with accountability benchmarks built in – to ensure our Seals and others in the Special Operations community will not be left behind with the wounds they have suffered due to repetitive low-level blast injuries.”
This legislation is also supported by The American Legion.
Thursday then saw Moran and Mazie Hirono, a member of the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs introduce legislation to make certain the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) assists the family caregivers of veterans as they transition into the workforce or retirement after their caregiving responsibilities have ended.
The Veteran Caregiver Reeducation, Reemployment, and Retirement Act would require VA to provide certain support services to veteran caregivers to help them go back to school, reenter the workforce, or retire when their veteran family member or loved one no longer needs caregiving services, according to a release from Moran’s office, and this support would include employment assistance, retirement planning, and bereavement counseling. This legislation would also require VA to study the barriers veteran caregivers face when reentering the workforce; allow reimbursement up to a certain amount for fees associated with maintaining professional certifications or re-licensure; grant access to existing employment assistance programs; and require a report on the feasibility of establishing a retirement plan or savings for veteran caregivers.
“Family caregivers play a vital role in supporting veterans, often at the expense of their own careers and future goals,” Moran noted in the release. “Veterans, caregivers and VA staff in Kansas and across the country have expressed to me the challenges these family caregivers face as they transition back into the workforce or retirement once their caregiving responsibilities end. This legislation would provide support and practical tools to help family caregivers find their footing after their veteran loved one passes away, regains independence or transitions to a higher level of care.”
“Family caregivers provide critical care to their veteran loved ones, and when their time as a caregiver concludes, it is often difficult for them to transition back to work or into retirement,” Hirono noted in the release. “This legislation will help to ensure VA provides important resources to these caregivers when their services are no longer needed, including employment assistance, retirement planning, and bereavement counseling. I’m proud to introduce this bill in gratitude of the invaluable support that family caregivers provide to our country’s veterans.”
The full text of the legislation can be found at https://www.veterans.senate.gov/services/files/0705D5DA-1BE5-485A-8B7E-F2012C0AD442.
"Quality of Life Foundation is thankful that Senators Moran and Hirono have taken the economic plight of veteran family caregivers seriously,” Andrea Sawyer, Advocacy Director for the Wounded Veteran Family Care Program of the Quality of Life Foundation, noted in the release from Moran’s office. “The Veteran Caregiver Reeducation, Reemployment, and Retirement Act would allow caregivers the opportunity to address economic concerns that have plagued veteran caregivers since time began. We voluntarily leave our jobs to care for our warriors at a much younger age than most caregivers leave the workspace. We do so at great economic impact to ourselves, but with love and devotion for our warriors. This bill would address economic concerns that veteran caregivers face when their caregiving years end by allowing them financial assistance to regain their professional certificates lost while caregiving, allow them to fill positions take advantage of Department of Labor returnships and fill VA personal care positions, and study the creation of retirement savings vehicles for caregivers that do not currently exist due to the unearned income status of VA family caregivers. The passage of this legislation would have a large economic impact on those caregivers who save the VA millions of dollars a year while caring for their loved ones and our nation's injured and ill veterans."
“Just as our veterans answered the call to serve our nation, their caregivers also answered the call to step up and serve them,” Lt. Gen. Brian T. Kelly, USAF (Ret), the President and Chief Executive Officer of Military Officers Association of America, noted in the release from Moran’s office. “These dedicated individuals put their own futures on hold – sacrificing financial security, career advancement, and personal well-being – to fulfill the nations promise to take care of our veterans and provide the care veterans deserve. Yet, when their caregiving roles end—whether due to ineligibility for VA caregiver program services or the passing of their loved one—many are left without the support they need to rebuild their lives. The Veteran Caregiver Reeducation, Reemployment, and Retirement Act is not just an act of gratitude – it’s part of fulfilling a promise on behalf of our nation. MOAA deeply appreciates Senators Moran and Hirono for once again championing this vital legislation, and we urge Congress to support those who stepped up and sacrificed so much.”
