New Veteran Protections Divide Legislators

Article by The Center Square: Posted December 17, 2025

Excerpt below:

(The Center Square) - Advances in neuroscience have made increasingly clear the connection between traumatic brain injury and behavior challenges like irritability, aggression, and impulsivity.

For veterans, that means the same service they provided their country can contribute to criminal acts that harm their communities and ultimately cost their freedom.

That’s why Pennsylvania law allows veterans to present traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress disorder as mitigating factors during sentencing after they’ve been convicted of a crime. For those who haven’t received a diagnosis at that time, possible conditions are not considered.