Maine U.S Senator Angus King is calling for a study on how lower-intensity weapons blasts affect the mental health of veterans

He’s introduced a bill to create a 10-year research plan to better understand the effects of repeated, low-level weapon blasts, which servicemembers are exposed to during training and in combat.

King’s proposal comes after veteran Robert Card killed 18 people in last year’s Lewison mass shooting after being exposed to thousands of low-level blasts as an Army Reservist. Boston University conducted a forensic analysis of Card’s brain tissue this year. He was involved in grenade and weapons training as a reservist in New York state.

If approved, the bill would unlock $50 million over 10 years to study veterans who were exposed to various forms of brain impacts.

King introduced the Precision Health Research Act with fellow Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee member Jerry Moran of Kansas.

It’s designed to build on another proposal, the Blast Overpressure Safety Act, which would direct the Department of Defense to enact a range of measures to help mitigate and protect servicemembers from high-intensity blast overpressure.

The bill just announced by King and Moran would require the VA to create a 10-year research plan to establish the effects of repetitive low-level blast injuries. Results would be reported to Congress, in order to develop further legislation for veterans who suffer with the effects of these repetitive blast exposures.

“Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) are a common, yet misunderstood and often undetectable, injury – and they can be traced to large blasts in small amounts or smaller blasts that add up over time, so we need to address them in all their forms,” said Senator King. “Here in Maine, we know all too well the horrible tragedies that can occur when TBIs are left untreated. This commonsense bill builds off of previous efforts to ensure we deliver on our promise to provide our servicemembers, veterans and their families the very best care and support.>

“Recent studies have tied low-level blasts, which servicemembers are exposed to during training and in combat, to high rates of brain and mental health conditions, as well as suicides,” said Senator Moran. “This legislation will help us start to better understand why and how blast exposures are impacting servicemembers and veterans and make certain VA is able to quickly incorporate these findings into clinical care for our veterans to receive a diagnosis and a treatment plan.”

The full text of the bill can be found here.