WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) a Senate Veterans’ Affairs (VA) Committee member, issued the following statement on the House of Representatives passing the “Commander John Scott Hannon Veterans Mental Health Care Improvement Act,” a bill containing provisions he wrote to expand the VA Department’s research into Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT):

“Our bill is a comprehensive approach to addressing veterans’ mental health issues. It includes my provisions authorizing the VA to further study Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy, which I hope will ultimately lead to more veterans being able to access this treatment. I applaud Chairman Moran for his leadership and my colleagues in the House for offering their support. I look forward to President Trump signing another meaningful piece of legislation for our nation’s veterans.”

Senator Cramer wrote the HBOT portion of this comprehensive legislation from his seat on the Senate VA Committee, which passed it in January. The Senator’s HBOT provisions:

  • authorize the Secretary of the VA to enter into public-private partnerships to research the effectiveness of HBOT,
  • require the VA to use an objective test to measure the effectiveness of HBOT treatment, and
  • commission a comprehensive review and study of HBOT, both within the VA and in outside organizations. This study would be completed with a recommendation from the VA about the effectiveness of HBOT.

Senator Cramer helped author this legislation through his senate on the Senate VA Committee, which approved the bill in January. Senator Cramer presided over the Senate as the bill passed by unanimous consent in August. Learn more here.