H.R. 6444 — Blast Overpressure Research and Mitigation Task Force Act

This section establishes the Blast Overpressure Task Force through the Department of Veterans Affairs-Department of Defense Joint Executive Committee under 38 U.S.C. §320, not later than 180 days after enactment of this Act. (The Joint Executive Committee coordinates interagency efforts on veterans health care, benefits, and transition assistance.) The Task Force's duties are (1) to improve VA health care and benefits, in consultation with DoD, for veterans and service members diagnosed with traumatic brain injury, post-traumatic stress disorder, or related symptoms from blast overpressure or exposure; (2) to align VA research agendas and acquisition strategies for such care; (3) to establish physiological and cognitive performance baselines for those individuals; (4) to prioritize translational research on specified issues (e.g., sleep therapy, blast-related gut health, vestibular dysfunction); (5) to monitor sensory decline and stress-related impairments among those individuals; and (6) to support continuity of care via mobile and longitudinal diagnostic tools. The Task Force must submit annual reports to the Senate and House Committees on Veterans' Affairs and Armed Services detailing its research initiatives, coordination outcomes, and clinical advancements, along with recommendations on (1) VA claims processors' evaluation of service-connected evidence for such conditions and (2) best practices for assessing neurological injuries in benefit examinations under 38 U.S.C. chapters 11 or 15. The Task Force terminates on September 30, 2029.