Veterans PTSD Screening Act

This bill, the Veterans PTSD Screening Act, would direct the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to conduct a focused study to evaluate whether RNA sequencing can be used as an effective way to diagnose PTSD in veterans. The study would look for biomarkers related to inflammation or cellular stress that may be associated with PTSD symptoms. It requires the VA to carry out the research within five Veterans Integrated Service Networks (VISNs) and to perform the work through the VA’s Center for Innovation for Care and Payment. The study must begin within 120 days of enactment, end by September 30, 2027, and the VA must deliver a final report with the study results to Congress by September 30, 2028. This bill does not create a screening program or mandate immediate changes to care; it establishes a formal study to assess feasibility and potential utility. RNA sequencing is a laboratory technique that measures which genes are actively being used (transcribed into RNA) in a sample. In this context, the bill envisions using that information to identify blood-based or other tissue-based patterns consistent with PTSD, inflammation, or cellular stress, with the aim of supporting diagnosis in veterans.