Veterans/eTMS Pilot Program
House Bill 572 directs the North Carolina Department of Military and Veterans Affairs to select a provider to create a statewide pilot program offering electroencephalogram combined transcranial magnetic stimulation treatment, or eTMS, to veterans, first responders, and certain immediate family members. The program is intended for participants experiencing conditions such as substance use disorders, mental illness, sleep disorders, traumatic brain injuries, sexual trauma, posttraumatic stress disorder, concussions, other brain trauma, and related cognition or attention problems.
The bill sets out several program requirements. The selected provider must have experience serving veterans and first responders statewide, build a network for in-person and off-site care, and may use portable magnetic stimulation devices to reach underserved or remote areas. The provider must also operate a clinical practice, evaluate outcomes, and include peer-to-peer support, counseling and wellness programming, and neurophysiological monitoring for each participant. The bill requires reporting of protocols, outcomes, biometrics, and state expenditures to legislative and fiscal oversight entities by September 15, 2026, and authorizes the department to adopt rules to implement the act.
If enacted, the bill would create a new state-run pilot program under the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs and would not directly amend existing benefit statutes so much as add a new treatment initiative and reporting framework. It would expand state involvement in mental health and neurological treatment access for veterans, first responders, and immediate family members, while also creating administrative authority for the department to select a provider, establish rules, and oversee data collection and reporting. The measure could affect state spending, service delivery networks, and access to experimental or specialized treatment modalities in underserved areas.
The available voting history suggests strong support for the bill, as it passed second reading in the House by a unanimous 112-0 vote. No committee transcript is available, but the broad bipartisan vote indicates the proposal was viewed favorably as a veterans and first responder health initiative. The bill’s framing around treatment access, mental health, and support services likely contributed to its positive reception.
No specific opposition is reflected in the available materials, but the bill could raise questions about the evidence base for eTMS, the use of state funds for a pilot program, and the inclusion of portable nonmedical magnetic stimulation devices. Potential points of concern may also include provider selection, oversight of clinical protocols, data reporting requirements, and whether the program should be limited to veterans and first responders or expanded to immediate family members. Because no committee debate transcript is provided, these possible issues are not documented as active disputes in the record here.