A bill aimed at expanding access to an emerging treatment for veterans suffering from traumatic brain injuries and post-traumatic stress disorder will not advance this legislative session, prompting sharp criticism from one of its leading advocates. State Representative Helena Hayes, R – [House Dist. 88], issued a statement Wednesday expressing disappointment that House File 2481 was not taken up by an appropriations subcommittee, effectively ending its path forward this year despite receiving unanimous support in the House Veterans Affairs Committee.
“When floor managers refuse to act, bold and transformational legislation can be killed by procedure before ever receiving the debate it deserves,” Hayes said. “But when a veteran suicide prevention bill carries the hopes of wounded veterans … its defeat does not bury the cause, it fuels it.”
The bill sought to establish a framework to help Iowa veterans access hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT), a treatment that involves breathing higher amounts of oxygen in a pressurized environment. Some advocates and medical professionals believe HBOT may help alleviate symptoms associated with brain injuries and PTSD, though its use for those conditions remains an area of ongoing research and debate within the medical community. “These are wounds the public often cannot see, but they are no less devastating,” Hayes said, citing symptoms such as cognitive decline, depression, and sleeplessness.
Hayes also pointed to veteran suicide rates as a driving force behind the proposal, stating that Iowa has already lost 32 veterans to suicide just since January of this year, all between the ages of 19 and 46.
Hayes specifically named Reps. Brian Lohse and Ann Meyer as having played a role in halting the bill’s progress, though she stopped short of detailing their reasoning. Supporters of HBOT legislation have increasingly pushed for broader access in recent years, arguing that traditional treatments do not work for all veterans. Critics, however, have raised concerns about cost, clinical evidence, and the need for further study before expanding the treatment for veterans.
Despite the setback, Hayes indicated the issue will remain a priority. “Though this bill has died for the session, the mission has not,” she said. “We will return. We will find another way. And we will not stop until every soldier can be made whole.” Hayes also thanked advocates Lori Stiles and John Thompson of Salute to the Fallen for their work on the issue.
