# 119-s-4220: Veterans Health Administration Novel Therapeutics Preparedness Act

119-s-4220, Veterans Health Administration Novel Therapeutics Preparedness Act, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Sen. Sheehy, Tim [R-MT] (R-MT); status in_committee; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-08-20).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-4220
- As of: 2026-08-20
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-s-4220
- Congress: 119
- Title: Veterans Health Administration Novel Therapeutics Preparedness Act
- Status: in_committee
- Introduced: 2026-03-26
- Sponsor: Sen. Sheehy, Tim [R-MT] (R-MT)
- Cosponsors: 3
- Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security
- Touches household money: yes
- Last recorded action: 2026-08-20

## Summary

**This bill would create the Office of Novel Therapeutics within the Veterans Health Administration** to develop national policy, training, and clinical models for evaluating and safely using emerging mental health treatments for veterans. - Veterans and families: Would set national clinical standards, eligibility guidance, and safety monitoring for new therapeutic approaches so eligible veterans have clearer paths to care and post-treatment support. - Clinicians and peer specialists: Would require a workforce-readiness assessment, standardized competency-based training and credentialing, and protected clinical and research time for staff involved in these therapies. - VA medical centers and research: Would designate centers of excellence, require at least one center per Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN), and run a Clinical Implementation Program to test effectiveness, safety, and scalability. It would also create a Veteran Advisory Committee and coordinate with HHS, the FDA, CMS, the Department of Defense, and the DEA for regulatory and reimbursement readiness.

## Cosponsors (3)

- Sen. Gallego, Ruben [D-AZ] (D-AZ), 2026-03-26T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Duckworth, Tammy [D-IL] (D-IL), 2026-03-26T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Boozman, John [R-AR] (R-AR), 2026-03-26T00:00:00.000Z

## Provisions PRIA read

- Pilot program for novel mental therapies: benefit, medium. If enacted, the VA would create a Clinical Implementation Program to test FDA‑regulated mental‑health therapies. The Program would run pilots at Centers of Excellence and at least one VA medical center in each VISN. It would study safety, how well treatments work, and how to deliver care. The Secre…
- VA Office for Novel Mental Therapies: benefit, medium. If enacted, the VA would create an Office of Novel Therapeutics under the Under Secretary for Health. The Office would be led by a Director with expertise in clinical research and implementation science. It would set national policy, clinical standards, and training for new mental‑health treatments…

## Related bills

- 119-s-5066: Health Equity and Accountability Act of 2026
- 119-s-5526: Agricultural Act of 2026
- 119-s-4744: Take Care of America’s Veterans Act
- 119-s-3923: Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Reauthorization Act of 2026
- 119-s-1552: Living Donor Protection Act of 2025
- 119-s-1241: Sanctioning Russia Act of 2025

## Sources
- [119-s-4220 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/4220)

## Related
- [119-s-5066: Health Equity and Accountability Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-5066)
- [119-s-5526: Agricultural Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-5526)
- [119-s-4744: Take Care of America’s Veterans Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-4744)
- [119-s-3923: Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Reauthorization Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-3923)
- [119-s-1552: Living Donor Protection Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1552)
- [119-s-1241: Sanctioning Russia Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1241)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-4220 (as of 2026-08-20).