Veteran Advocates Visit Raleigh on June 16 and Boston on June 17 to Educate Lawmakers and Champion Breakthrough Therapies Research Legislation

SOUTHLAKE, Texas, June 10, 2026 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Veterans Exploring Treatment Solutions (VETS), a leading nonprofit organization dedicated to ending the veteran suicide epidemic, will host consecutive Legislative Days of Action in two states this June, in the North Carolina General Assembly in Raleigh on June 16 and the Massachusetts State House in Boston on June 17. Both events will convene veterans, researchers, and advocates to directly educate legislators and staff on the urgent need for state-led psychedelic-assisted therapy policy reform.

In Raleigh on June 16, VETS will mobilize veterans and allies to advocate for Senate Bill 1018, the Healing through Evidence-based Access to Lifesaving Care (HEAL) Act, sponsored by Senators Robert Brinson and Sophia Chitlik. The legislation would establish the Breakthrough Therapies Research (BTR) Grant Fund within the Department of Health and Human Services, appropriating $5.4 million — including $5 million in competitive research grants — to fund studies on psychedelic medicines including ibogaine, MDMA, and psilocybin for populations disproportionately impacted by trauma.

SB 1018 also creates the Breakthrough Therapies Task Force, a multidisciplinary body including state health, military, and commerce secretaries; representatives from the UNC and East Carolina University Schools of Medicine; tribal council representatives from the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians and the Lumbee Tribe; and members of the legislature. The task force would oversee grant awards, monitor research, and make recommendations for regulatory pathways if psychedelic medicines are federally reclassified.

The bill expressly aligns with President Trump's April 18, 2026 Executive Order on "Accelerating Medical Treatments for Serious Mental Illness," directing the Division of Mental Health to leverage all available federal funding opportunities, including those created through the Executive Order, to maximize the reach of North Carolina's investment.

On June 17, VETS will bring advocates to the Massachusetts State House to advance three complementary pieces of legislation pending before the Joint Committee on Mental Health, Substance Use and Recovery:

• S.1400 / H.4200 — An Act authorizing a pilot for the use of psychedelics in licensed treatment facilities (Sen. Cindy Friedman/Rep. James O'Day): Would direct the Department of Public Health to issue pilot permits to up to three licensed mental health clinic facilities for supervised, multi-disciplinary psychedelic-assisted treatment, collecting patient outcomes data on depression, anxiety, PTSD, and substance use disorder. Eligible organizations must focus exclusively on mental health and may not be affiliated with cannabis or pharmaceutical industries.
• H.2203 — An Act establishing a pilot program for access to regulated psilocybin (Rep. Marjorie Decker): Would establish the Psilocybin-Assisted Therapy Program through the Department of Public Health, providing psilocybin therapy via FDA-approved pathways to adults 21 and older with PTSD, end-of-life distress, depression, or other qualifying conditions. The bill centers university researchers experienced in clinical psychedelic trials and requires study of MassHealth coverage feasibility.

Together, these bills offer a comprehensive, evidence-based framework for bringing psychedelic-assisted therapy access to the Commonwealth through both clinical trial and licensed treatment pathways.

At each Day of Action, VETS will organize meetings between legislators, their staff, and veterans who have personally experienced the healing power of psychedelic-assisted therapies. Participants will share first-hand accounts of recovery from treatment-resistant PTSD, traumatic brain injury, and other invisible wounds of war — conditions that conventional treatments have too often failed to address. VETS' policy team will provide targeted education on each state's legislation, the scientific evidence base, and alignment with recent federal momentum.

"For too long, veterans have been left behind by a system that offers limited options for the invisible wounds of war," said Marcus Capone, U.S. Navy SEAL and VETS Co-Founder. "North Carolina and Massachusetts are showing real leadership by investing in the science. These Days of Action are about making sure lawmakers hear directly from the veterans whose lives have been transformed. So they understand what's at stake and act with urgency."

"The science is clear, the momentum is there, and veterans in North Carolina and Massachusetts deserve access to treatments that work," said Amber Capone, CEO and Co-Founder of VETS. "We've helped more than 1,300 veterans and spouses access these therapies through our Foundational Healing Grants program, and we know firsthand that lives are on the line. We are committed to every state that is willing to fight for its veterans."

"North Carolina's HEAL Act and Massachusetts' emerging framework represent exactly the kind of state leadership that the veteran mental health crisis demands," said Logan Davidson, Legislative Director at VETS. "With the April 18 Executive Order signaling a new federal runway, the states that move now will be first in line. These efforts are about giving legislators the tools and the voices they need to move these bills across the finish line."

Both state efforts arrive amid a historic shift in psychedelic policy. President Trump's April 18, 2026 Executive Order was a direct result of state-led policy reform. The order has opened a new avenue for state-federal partnerships. VETS has been at the forefront of the advocacy that has secured these historic victories.

For more information about VETS' advocacy and research efforts, visit www.vetsolutions.org.

About VETS

Founded in 2019, Veterans Exploring Treatment Solutions (VETS) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization working to end the veteran suicide epidemic by providing resources, research, and advocacy for U.S. military veterans seeking psychedelic-assisted therapies for traumatic brain injury (TBI), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), addiction, and other health conditions. VETS envisions a world where our veterans have access to the most advanced healthcare options to heal from the mental and physical wounds of war.

Media Contact
Brad Burge, Veterans Exploring Treatment Solutions (VETS), 1 6508636887, brad@vetsolutions.org, https://vetsolutions.org/

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SOURCE Veterans Exploring Treatment Solutions (VETS)