United States-Israel PTSD Collaborative Research Act

Bill Number

H.R. 4655

Origin Chamber

House

Congress

119th Congress, Session 1

Policy Area

Armed Forces and National Security

Status

Introduced

Latest Action

2025-07-23: Referred to the House Committee on Armed Services.

Last Updated

2026-04-21T08:05:48Z

AI-Generated Summary

United States-Israel PTSD Collaborative Research Act H.R. 4655

Purpose

The legislation directs the Secretary of Defense to establish a grant program that promotes joint research on post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) between the United States and Israel. It aims to support collaborative efforts to improve understanding, diagnosis, and treatment of PTSD, building on existing bilateral scientific agreements.

Key Provisions

• Findings: The bill cites statistics on PTSD prevalence among U.S. veterans from conflicts such as Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom (approximately 29 percent), Gulf War veterans (21 percent), Vietnam veterans (up to 10 percent), and women veterans (nearly 20 percent). It also notes that about 70 percent of Americans experience trauma, with 20 percent developing PTSD symptoms, and links PTSD to issues like homelessness and substance abuse. Similar challenges exist in Israel, where 12 percent of soldiers from the Gaza war experience severe PTSD.
• Grant Program Establishment: The Secretary of Defense, in coordination with the Secretary of Veterans Affairs and the Secretary of State, must award grants to eligible U.S. entities for joint PTSD research projects with Israeli partners. The program follows the 1972 U.S.-Israel Binational Science Foundation agreement.
• Eligible Entities: Grants are limited to academic institutions or nonprofit organizations located in the United States.
• Grant Criteria: Projects must address PTSD-related requirements identified by the Secretary, involve a joint research agreement with an Israeli entity, and meet any additional criteria set by the Secretary.
• Application and Administration: Entities submit applications with required commitments and information. The Secretary may accept monetary gifts for the program, deposited into the Department of Defense General Gift Fund.
• Reporting and Termination: Recipients must allow the Secretary to submit reports to Congress within 180 days of project completion, detailing grant use and outcomes. The grant authority ends seven years after the first award.
• Sense of Congress: The Secretary should explore collaboration through the Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury Research Program with U.S. and Israeli academic and nonprofit institutions.

Significant Changes to Existing Law

This bill introduces a new, time-limited grant authority specifically for U.S.-Israel PTSD research collaboration. It does not amend prior statutes but creates a targeted program aligned with the existing 1972 Binational Science Foundation framework, adding coordination requirements among the Departments of Defense, Veterans Affairs, and State.

Potential Impacts

• Government Agencies: The Department of Defense leads implementation and reporting, while the Departments of Veterans Affairs and State provide coordination, potentially increasing administrative workload and interagency collaboration.
• Citizens: U.S. veterans and civilians affected by PTSD may benefit from advances in research and treatments resulting from joint efforts.
• International Relations: The program formalizes scientific cooperation with Israel in a health-related field, potentially strengthening bilateral ties through shared expertise in trauma research.

Main Stakeholders Affected

• U.S. veterans and individuals with PTSD.
• Academic institutions and nonprofit research entities in the United States.
• Israeli research institutions and hospitals.
• The Departments of Defense, Veterans Affairs, and State.
• Congress, through oversight and reporting requirements.

Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications

The legislation operates within existing executive authority for grant programs and international agreements, with no direct constitutional conflicts noted. It emphasizes voluntary bilateral collaboration without new regulatory mandates on private entities. The seven-year sunset provision limits long-term commitments, and gift acceptance authority is subject to standard congressional appropriations processes.

This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.

Sponsor

Rep. Fine, Randy [R-FL-6]

Cosponsors (12)

Rep. Gottheimer, Josh [D-NJ-5], Rep. Newhouse, Dan [R-WA-4], Rep. Gimenez, Carlos A. [R-FL-28], Rep. Rutherford, John H. [R-FL-5], Rep. Webster, Daniel [R-FL-11], Rep. Crenshaw, Dan [R-TX-2], Rep. Lawler, Michael [R-NY-17], Rep. Gonzales, Tony [R-TX-23], Rep. Tenney, Claudia [R-NY-24], Rep. Stefanik, Elise M. [R-NY-21], Rep. Barrett, Tom [R-MI-7], Rep. Stauber, Pete [R-MN-8]

Recent Actions

• 2025-07-23: Referred to the House Committee on Armed Services.
• 2025-07-23: Introduced in House
• 2025-07-23: Introduced in House

Bill Versions

• United States-Israel PTSD Collaborative Research Act — issued 2025-07-23 — PDF (6 pages)