Congressman Abe Hamadeh (R-AZ-08) has introduced legislation directing the Department of Defense to provide Congress with a comprehensive review of emerging clinical research and service-related treatments for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Supporters say the move could help expand future healthcare options for veterans and service members.
The Veterans and Service Members PTSD Emerging Treatment Review Act would require the Pentagon to assess emerging PTSD treatments and report its findings to Congress, providing lawmakers with updated information on investigational therapies and ongoing clinical research.
“Our service members and veterans deserve every opportunity to access the most effective treatments backed by rigorous scientific research,” stated Congressman Hamadeh. “Far too many Americans continue to struggle with treatment-resistant PTSD, contributing to suicide, substance abuse, and challenges transitioning back to civilian life. This legislation ensures Congress and the Department of Defense have the data needed to evaluate emerging research and make informed decisions that prioritize military readiness, force health, and veteran care.”
Our servicemembers & veterans deserve every proven, science-backed treatment to beat PTSD,
Congressman Hamadeh's 𝘝𝘦𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘚𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘪𝘤𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘮𝘣𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘗𝘛𝘚𝘋 𝘌𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘛𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘙𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸 𝘈𝘤𝘵 gives Congress & the Department of War the data…
— Office of Congressman Abe Hamadeh (@RepAbeHamadeh) July 1, 2026
The legislation has received support from researchers involved in Arizona based clinical trials studying emerging PTSD treatments.
Dr. Sue Sisley, MD, Chief Medical Officer of the Scottsdale Research Institute said, “We appreciate Congressman Hamadeh and his team for this groundbreaking victory. His staff visited our Sonoran Research Institute Lab and saw firsthand what these FDA clinical trials mean for Veterans & First Responders, and what it could mean for transitioning service members in the future. This clinical trial exemplifies the promise behind President Trump’s recent Executive Order, Right to Try, and FDA Expanded Access: helping our nation’s heroes find new hope when existing treatments have failed them.”
Arizona is home to what researchers describe as the world’s first FDA- and DEA- approved clinical trial evaluating psilocybin-containing mushrooms in a structured group therapy setting for veterans and first responders suffering from PTSD.
The study is examining whether the investigational treatment may benefit individuals with treatment-resistant PTSD who have not responded to existing therapies.
According to Hamadeh’s office, PTSD continues to affect thousands of veterans, active-duty service members, reservists, National Guard members, and first responders. While existing therapies have proven effective for many patients, treatment-resistant PTSD remains a significant challenge, affecting long-term health outcomes, family stability, and military readiness.
The legislation builds on bipartisan efforts in Congress after similar language was unanimously included in the House Armed Services Committee report accompanying this year’s National Defense Authorization Act.
It also aligns with President Trump’s Executive Order 14401 directing federal agencies to accelerate research and regulatory pathways for investigational treatments for serious mental illness.
Ethan Faverino is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
Rep. Eli Crane (R-AZ02) announced this week that language from his legislation aimed at restoring veterans’ Second Amendment rights has been incorporated into a bipartisan bill advancing through Congress.
According to a statement from Crane’s office, language from H.R. 496 was added to H.R. 1041, the Veterans 2nd Amendment Protection Act, which passed the U.S. House of Representatives this week and now heads to the Senate.
The legislation would prohibit the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) from reporting veterans to the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) solely because they receive assistance managing their VA benefits through a fiduciary program.
Crane’s provision incorporated into H.R. 1041 would restore Second Amendment rights to veterans previously reported to NICS solely due to fiduciary participation.
The measure would require a judicial determination that a veteran poses a danger to themselves or others before Second Amendment rights could be restricted through NICS reporting.
Crane said the addition of his bill language strengthens the legislation by addressing veterans already affected by the prior reporting policy.
“I’m pleased to see the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs add my language from H.R. 496 to the Veterans 2nd Amendment Protection Act,” Crane said. “This addition strengthens the bill, ensuring the retroactive removal of veterans who were wrongly added to the FBI’s NICS list.”
House Veterans’ Affairs Committee Chairman Rep. Mike Bost (R-IL) said the legislation is intended to protect veterans receiving financial assistance services from losing constitutional rights without court involvement.
“The men and women who have served and defended Constitutional rights for generations of Americans should not have to worry that they will be reported to NICS and lose their rights simply because they need help managing their books,” Bost said. “Veterans should never be treated like second-class citizens.”
Rep. Morgan Luttrell (R-TX), chairman of the Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs Subcommittee, also supported the measure, stating that only courts—not agency officials—should determine whether constitutional rights are restricted.
The legislation follows policy changes announced earlier this year by the Department of Veterans Affairs. In February, the VA announced it would stop reporting veterans enrolled in the fiduciary program to NICS solely because they receive assistance managing benefits. The department stated it was also working with the FBI to remove prior VA-related NICS submissions connected only to fiduciary participation.
VA Secretary Doug Collins said at the time that veterans had been deprived of Second Amendment rights without sufficient due process protections.
Today, the House passed the bipartisan Veterans 2nd Amendment Protection Act.
This bill codifies @POTUS’ directive stopping the VA from reporting veterans to the FBI’s NICS list for using a fiduciary.
Following House passage, Crane praised the legislation and urged Senate approval.
“If the federal government is willing to strip the God‑given, unalienable rights of those who served in uniform, there is no telling where they will draw the line. H.R. 1041 codifies the termination of this un‑American practice and prevents future administrations from unilaterally reversing this wise decision.”
He added, “I’m grateful to President Trump for protecting the rights of our nation’s heroes, and I appreciate Chairman Bost for adopting my language into his bill. I urge my colleagues in the Senate to quickly pass these necessary reforms.”
Congressman Abraham Hamadeh (R-AZ-08) announced his letter to Secretary of Veterans Affairs Doug Collins to adopt common-sense reforms to the VA Home Loan Guarantee Program.
The goal is to eliminate outdated bureaucratic hurdles, reduce unnecessary costs, and better align the program with today’s competitive housing market so more young veterans can achieve the American Dream of homeownership.
In a formal letter to Secretary Collins, Congressman Hamadeh highlighted the Trump administration’s strong progress in refocusing the Department of Veterans Affairs on its core mission: delivering timely benefits, expanding access to quality care, slashing the claims backlog, and eliminating waste. Building on that momentum, Hamadeh expressed confidence that practical improvements to the home loan program will receive serious consideration.
“As my fellow veteran and Committee member, Congressman Van Orden said in our hearing on the subject, we must find ways to eliminate the unnecessary administrative costs of the VA Home Loan program and better align it with other Federal housing programs,” said Congressman Hamadeh. “My family is in real estate. I am very familiar with housing, and I know the unintended consequences of bureaucratic policies that have little to no protective value and ignore the realities of the marketplace.”
Congressman Hamadeh’s recommendations focus on four key areas where the VA Home Loan program lags behind other federal housing programs, such as FHA and USDA loans:
Ending Origination Fee Stacking: VA rules cap lender origination and administrative fees at 1% of the loan amount, intended to cover all lender labor and overhead. However, veterans report lenders charging the full 1% while adding separate itemized fees for processing, underwriting, and other services. This practice amounts to an unfair cash grab that increases costs for veterans and should be strictly enforced.
Modernizing Underwriting Process: The VA continues to rely heavily on manual underwriting, resulting in average closing times of about 10 business days. In contrast, the FHA has implemented semi-automated systems that can approve straightforward loans in as little as 2 to 7 days. The Mortgage Bankers Association has testified that automated underwriting would accelerate the process and help reduce the perception that VA loans are slower and more cumbersome.
Raising the Seller Concessions Cap: The VA currently limits seller concessions to 4% of the home’s reasonable value. Both FHA and USDA programs allow up to 6%. In competitive markets, this 2-percentage point difference can mean the difference between a veteran’s offer being accepted or denied.
Addressing Appraiser Shortages Through Reasonable Certification Requirements: The VA has identified 436 counties in 31 states facing appraiser shortages that delay loans and drive up costs. A major contributor is the VA’s stringent experience requirement of 3 to 5 years for certification, compared to just 12 to 18 months for FHA and USDA programs. Aligning standards would increase the pool of qualified appraisers, shortening waiting times and lowering fees.
These targeted reforms would remove barriers without compromising program integrity, helping young veterans secure homes more efficiently and affordably. By modernizing the program, VA can better fulfill its promise to those men and women who have sacrificed for our country.
Ethan Faverino is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
The Arizona House of Representatives passed House Concurrent Memorial 2007, a measure that would designate sections of State Route 69 as a memorial highway honoring U.S. veterans from major conflicts over the past century.
The measure, sponsored by State Representative Quang Nguyen (R-LD1) and passed with bipartisan support, urges the Arizona State Board on Geographic and Historic Names to divide State Route 69 into six equal segments. Each section would be designated to honor veterans of a specific conflict: World War I, World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, Operation Desert Storm, and the “Iraq and Afghanistan War,” as described in the resolution.
Under HCM 2007, the memorial also calls on the Secretary of State to transmit a copy to the chairperson of the state geographic board for implementation.
House Republicans Honor Arizona Veterans with Memorial Highway Designations on State Route 69 Rep. Quang Nguyen’s HCM 2007 urges new memorial designations for World War I, World War II, Korea, Vietnam, Desert Storm, and Iraq and Afghanistan veterans
“State Route 69 is a major corridor in our state. When Arizonans drive it, I want them to see names that mean something,” Nguyen said in a statement. “World War I. World War II. Korea. Vietnam. Desert Storm. Iraq and Afghanistan. Those names stand for sacrifice, courage, and victory.”
Nguyen also said the measure recognizes the service and sacrifices of Arizona veterans across generations, and that the memorial would keep the contributions of those service members visible to motorists throughout the state.
“Arizona owes a debt that can never be fully repaid to the men and women who fought for this country,” Nguyen said. “They answered the call in the world’s darkest hours, on frozen hillsides, in jungles, across deserts, and in the streets and mountains where terrorists tried to make war on Americans. They did not hesitate. They put their lives on the line so the United States would stay free, our families could live in peace, and our flag would never be lowered to an enemy.”
State Route 69 is a significant regional corridor in northern Arizona that runs from Yavapai County’s seat, Prescott, and its suburbs, like Prescott Valley and Dewey-Humboldt, and connects a series of rural communities before meeting I-17 at Cordes Junction.
The House Concurrent Resolution notes in historical context that State Route 69, currently named “Black Canyon Highway,” was declared the first public road in the new Arizona territory in 1864 and utilized by the United States Army as part of its route from the then-critical military installations of Fort Whipple to Fort McDowell.
HCM 2007 now advances as a formal request to the Arizona State Board on Geographic and Historic Names for consideration of the designations.
Arizona lawmakers approved a Republican-sponsored bill granting full property tax exemptions to veterans with a 100% service-connected disability, advancing the measure with bipartisan support before it was signed into law last week.
The bill, HB 2792, was approved unanimously by the Arizona House and moved through the Senate as SB 1268 with near-unanimous support before reaching the governor’s desk. The House measure was sponsored by Majority Leader Carbone (R-LD25). Senator David Gowan (R-LD19) sponsored the corresponding legislation in the Senate.
According to Senate records, the sole dissenting vote was cast by Democratic Senator Sally Ann Gonzales, who represents Legislative District 20.
Under the legislation, a veteran determined by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to have a 100% service-connected disability will qualify for a full property tax exemption on their primary home. The exemption also extends to surviving spouses, provided they remain in the residence and do not remarry.
“This bill keeps a simple promise,” Carbone said in a statement. “If a veteran sacrifices their health in service to America, the government should not tax them out of their home. We worked directly with county assessors to ensure the law is clear and properly implemented. Preserving homeownership for those who earned it is central to the House Republican Majority Plan and to preserving the American Dream. This law delivers direct relief, limits government reach, and stands up for veterans and their families.”
The change codifies and expands existing law that previously provided partial exemptions based on disability percentage and income limits. State personal exemption programs already allow a reduction in assessed value for certain disabled veterans, widows, and widowers, and can result in full relief in some cases.
Arizona Republicans are fighting to eliminate property taxes for veterans with 100% service-connected disabilities.
SB 1268 and HB 2792 deliver full property tax relief on their primary residence. These men and women gave everything for our country. The least we can do is make… pic.twitter.com/sDNBevwtv6
In a post to X, Senate GOP leaders wrote, “Arizona Republicans are fighting to eliminate property taxes for veterans with 100% service-connected disabilities. SB 1268 and HB 2792 deliver full property tax relief on their primary residence. These men and women gave everything for our country. The least we can do is make sure they can stay in their homes.”
County assessors across the state have begun notifying eligible residents of the change and encouraging veterans and surviving spouses to file applications for the exemption through their local assessor’s offices. For example, the Santa Cruz County Assessor’s Office states that the new law is effective for the 2026 tax year and details documentation requirements, including VA disability certification and proof of property ownership.
Applications for individual exemption programs generally must be filed with county assessor offices by the February 28 deadline, according to the Maricopa County Assessor’s Office. This deadline may be extended to September 1 with an approved Exemption Deadline Waiver.
Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Carbone said, “This is about fairness. It’s about honoring service, and it’s about ensuring the most vulnerable among us can remain in their homes with dignity and integrity.”
The legislation brings Arizona in line with property tax relief policies in several other states that offer full or partial exemptions for disabled veterans on their primary residences.
