H.R. 6444 directs the Department of Veterans Affairs to establish a Blast Overpressure Task Force within 180 days to improve health care and benefits for veterans and active-duty service members who have suffered blast-related injuries. The task force will coordinate research between the VA and Department of Defense to better understand and treat traumatic brain injury, post-traumatic stress disorder, and other blast-related conditions, with a focus on emerging research areas such as sleep therapy, gut health impacts, mobile diagnostics, and neurological dysfunction. The task force must issue annual reports to Congress detailing its research initiatives, clinical advances, and recommendations for how VA claims processors should evaluate blast-related injuries when determining veterans' eligibility for benefits. The legislation does not specify funding amounts and establishes a sunset date of September 30, 2029, meaning the task force will automatically terminate at that time unless Congress extends it.
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