Tuesday, Representative Steve Knight’s (CA-25) bill, No Hero Left Untreated Act, passed unanimously from the House of Representatives and now heads to the Senate for consideration. Knight’s No Hero Left Untreated Act, H.R. 1162, would help veterans recover from post-traumatic stress (PTS), traumatic brain injury (TBI), military sexual trauma (MST), chronic pain, and opiate addiction.

“Whether it is Post-Traumatic Stress, Traumatic Brain Injury, Military Sexual Trauma, Chronic Pain, or Opiate Drug Addiction, the pilot program established by this bill provides for an innovative, individualized treatment for all-too-common diagnoses that our veterans face today,” said Rep Knight.

H.R. 1162 would establish a pilot program within the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) on a promising neurological treatment option for mental trauma called magnetic EEG/EKG-guided resonance therapy, also known as Magnetic eResonance Therapy (MeRT). This is an individualized non-pharmaceutical, non-invasive neuromodulation procedure that applies magnetic stimulation to restore proper brain function. To date, open label trials and placebo-controlled, double-blind studies indicate that over 400 veterans have reported a marked improvement in symptoms associated with PTS, TBI, MST, chronic pain, and opiate addiction. In one study done at Tinker Air Force Base, after 4 weeks of testing, specifically concluded, “Transcranial MeRT is a promising adjuvant treatment modality to help veterans suffering from PTSD.”

“I am grateful for the support of my House colleagues on the passage of The No Hero Left Untreated Act,” said Knight. “This is a great step forward in proving quality care to our veterans at a time when they need it most. I look forward to working with my Senate counterparts to get this bill to the President’s desk.”

The measure was initially introduced by Rep. Knight last year in the 114th Congress and passed the House of Representatives with unanimous, bipartisan support in November 2016. The bill’s passage today was necessary for the bill to hopefully receive a Presidential signature after Senate consideration.

“It is our duty to take care of every veteran suffering from the physical or invisible wounds of war,” said Rep Phil Roe, Chairman of the House Veterans Affairs Committee. “Magnetic Resonant Therapy is a promising treatment for people experiencing mental health conditions like depression and PTSD, and I thank Rep. Knight for introducing this legislation to explore this treatment for our nation’s heroes.”

The bill passed today with 56 bi-partisan cosponsors and it is supported by a broad coalition of Veterans Service Organizations, including AMVETS, the Veterans Health Council, the Association of the United States Navy, Veterans Advantage, the Patriot Project, Lines for Life, the National Foundation for Women Legislators, the Psych Armor Institute, STEADFAST Leadership, and the Westcare Foundation.

“H.R. 1162 is a significant step forward in providing Veterans with the treatment they desperately need and clearly deserve,” said Dr. Carol Ann Malizia, Patriot Project Board Member. “MeRT technology brings a novel neuromodulation approach, achieving unprecedented success rates in both open-label trials and randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind studies with over 98% of Veteran PTSD/TBI patients responding positively to this treatment option. Without investment in such innovative treatment, our nation’s Veterans will continue to pay a disproportionate toll for their service.”