WE NEED YOUR HELP FOR RE-AUTHORIZATION OF THE TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY (TBI) ACT
History of the TBI Act:
Originally passed in 1996 (P.L.104-166) and reauthorized in 2000, as part of the Children's Health Act (P.L. 106-310), the Traumatic Brain Injury Act is the only Federal Legislation specifically addressing issues faced by 5.3 million American children and adults who live with a long-term disability as a result of traumatic brain injury.
The TBI Act offers balances and coordinated public policy in brain injury prevention, brain injury research, brain injury education and community based services and supports for individuals living with traumatic brain injury and their families.
The law directs the:
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Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to identify strategies to prevent traumatic brain injury; increase awareness and understanding of TBI by implementing public information and education programs; and report the incidence of TBI and the prevalence of TBI-disability including rates among special populations, people in institutional settings, and individuals with mild traumatic brain injury by developing a uniform system for States to report population based TBI's.
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Health and Human Services Administration (HRSA) to make grants to States to coordinate, expand and enhance service delivery systems to improve access to services and supports and to make grants to State-based Protection and Advocacy organizations to provide information, referral and advocacy services to persons with brain injury and their families.
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National Institute of Health (NIH) to conduct basic and applied research in traumatic brain injury.
TBI Act Re-authorization
The re authorization of the Traumatic Brain Injury Act continues the authority for funding to States and Territories, Protection and Advocacy Systems, and other organizations to (1) prevent traumatic brain injury, (2) improve brain injury rehabilitation outcomes through research (3) strengthen and improve State systems to better serve individuals with traumatic brain injury and their families, and (4) advocate for and protect the rights of individuals with traumatic brain injury and their families.
Contact the Brain Injury Association of America at www.biausa.org for ways that you can assist in gaining re-authorization of the TBI Act.
