In addition to the EHDI bill, the House Energy and Commerce Committee approved legislation last week to reauthorize the Traumatic Brian Injury (TBI) Act (PL 104-166), clearing the way for consideration of the bill, H.R. 1418, by the full House.
The TBI Act was first enacted in 1996 and is intended to assist in the development of state-level infrastructure and service delivery systems for individuals with TBI and their families by providing grants to states. The programs specifically focus on TBI treatment and rehabilitation, individual and family support, returning to work, housing or supportive living, personal assistance services, assistive devices and technologies, behavioral health services, and substance abuse services. The Act was reauthorized in 2000 and provisions on protection and advocacy services for individuals with TBI and their families were added.
Introduced by Congressmen Pascrell (D-NJ) and Platts (R-PA), the House bill would authorize a new study through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to research the incidence, prevalence, and treatment of TBI. The measure also would authorize a study on improving access to care for veterans with traumatic brain injury, as TBI has become one of the signature injuries of the war in Iraq.
The Senate approved its companion TBI bill, S. 793, late last year. For more information, please contact Jim Potter, ASHA's Director of Government Relations and Public Policy, at jpotter@asha.org or 800-498-2071, ext. 5670.
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