[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1944 Introduced in House (IH)]







110th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1944

   To amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of 
 Veterans Affairs to screen certain veterans for symptoms of traumatic 
                 brain injury, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 19, 2007

   Mr. Altmire (for himself, Mr. Filner, Mr. Michaud, Mr. Miller of 
Florida, Mr. Boswell, Mr. Brown of South Carolina, Ms. Herseth Sandlin, 
Mr. Smith of New Jersey, Mr. Donnelly, Mr. Jones of North Carolina, Mr. 
   Rodriguez, Mr. Ramstad, Mr. Ellsworth, Mr. Hare, Mr. Arcuri, Mr. 
 Carney, Mr. Patrick J. Murphy of Pennsylvania, Mr. Space, Mr. Kagen, 
Ms. Corrine Brown of Florida, Mr. Allen, Ms. Berkley, Mr. McNerney, Mr. 
Hall of New York, Mr. Kennedy, Ms. Castor, Ms. Schwartz, Mr. Mahoney of 
 Florida, Mrs. Napolitano, Mr. Ryan of Ohio, Mr. Meek of Florida, Ms. 
    Linda T. Sanchez of California, Mr. Courtney, and Mr. Murphy of 
 Connecticut) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                     Committee on Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of 
 Veterans Affairs to screen certain veterans for symptoms of traumatic 
                 brain injury, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Veterans Traumatic Brain Injury 
Treatment Act of 2007''.

SEC. 2. SCREENING, REHABILITATION, AND TREATMENT FOR TRAUMATIC BRAIN 
              INJURY.

    (a) Screening, Rehabilitation, and Treatment for Traumatic Brain 
Injury.--
            (1) In general.--Chapter 17 of title 38, United States 
        Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new 
        subchapter:

                ``SUBCHAPTER IX--TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY

``Sec. 1791. Screening for traumatic brain injuries
    ``(a) Screening Program.--The Secretary shall establish a program 
to screen veterans who are eligible for hospital care, medical 
services, and nursing home care under section 1710(e)(1)(D) of this 
title for symptoms of traumatic brain injury.
    ``(b) Report.--Not later than one year after the date of the 
enactment of this section, and annually thereafter, the Secretary shall 
submit to the Committees on Veterans' Affairs of the Senate and the 
House of Representatives a report containing the following information:
            ``(1) The number of veterans screened under the program 
        during the year preceding such report.
            ``(2) The prevalence of traumatic brain injury symptoms 
        among the veterans screened under the program.
            ``(3) Recommendations for improving care and services to 
        veterans exhibiting symptoms of traumatic brain injury.
``Sec. 1792. Comprehensive program for long-term traumatic brain injury 
              rehabilitation
    ``(a) Comprehensive Program.--The Secretary shall develop and carry 
out a comprehensive program of long-term care for post-acute traumatic 
brain injury rehabilitation that includes residential, community, and 
home-based components utilizing interdisciplinary treatment teams.
    ``(b) Location of Program.--The Secretary shall carry out the 
program developed under subsection (a) in four geographically dispersed 
polytrauma network sites designated by the Secretary.
    ``(c) Eligibility.--A veteran is eligible for care under the 
program developed under subsection (a) if the veteran is otherwise 
eligible for care under this chapter and--
            ``(1) served on active duty in a theater of combat 
        operations (as determined by the Secretary in consultation with 
        the Secretary of Defense) during a period of war after the 
        Persian Gulf War, or in combat against a hostile force during a 
        period of hostilities (as defined in section 1712A(a)(2)(B) of 
        this title) after November 11, 1998;
            ``(2) is diagnosed as suffering from moderate to severe 
        traumatic brain injury; and
            ``(3) is unable to manage routine activities of daily 
        living without supervision or assistance.
    ``(d) Report.--Not later than one year after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter, the Secretary shall 
submit to the Committees on Veterans' Affairs of the Senate and the 
House of Representatives a report containing the following information:
            ``(1) A description of the operation of the program.
            ``(2) The number of veterans provided care under the 
        program during the year preceding such report.
            ``(3) The annual cost of operating the program.
``Sec. 1793. Traumatic brain injury transition offices
    ``(a) Establishment.--The Secretary shall establish a traumatic 
brain injury transition office at each Department polytrauma network 
site for the purposes of coordinating the provision of health-care and 
services to veterans who suffer from moderate to severe traumatic brain 
injuries and are in need of health-care and services not immediately 
offered by the Department.
    ``(b) Cooperative Agreements.--The Secretary, through each such 
office established under subsection (a), shall have the authority to 
arrange for the provision of health-care and services through 
cooperative agreements with appropriate public or private entities that 
have established long-term neurobehavioral rehabilitation and recovery 
programs.
``Sec. 1794. Traumatic brain injury registry
    ``(a) In General.--The Secretary shall establish and maintain a 
registry to be known as the `Traumatic Brain Injury Veterans' Health 
Registry' (in this section referred to as the `Registry').
    ``(b) Description.--The Registry shall include the following 
information:
            ``(1) A list containing the name of each individual who 
        served as a member of the Armed Forces in Operation Enduring 
        Freedom or Operation Iraqi Freedom who exhibits symptoms 
        associated with traumatic brain injury and who--
                    ``(A) applies for care and services from the 
                Department under this chapter; or
                    ``(B) files a claim for compensation under chapter 
                11 of this title on the basis of any disability which 
                may be associated with such service; and
            ``(2) any relevant medical data relating to the health 
        status of an individual described in paragraph (1) and any 
        other information the Secretary considers relevant and 
        appropriate with respect to such an individual if the 
        individual--
                    ``(A) grants permission to the Secretary to include 
                such information in the Registry; or
                    ``(B) is deceased at the time such individual is 
                listed in the Registry.
    ``(c) Notification.--The Secretary shall notify individuals listed 
in the Registry of significant developments in research on the health 
consequences of military service in the Operation Enduring Freedom and 
Operation Iraqi Freedom theaters of operations.''.
            (2) Clerical amendment.--The table of contents at the 
        beginning of such chapter is amended by adding at the end the 
        following new items:

                 ``subchapter ix--traumatic brain injury

``1791. Screening for traumatic brain injuries.
``1792. Comprehensive program for long-term traumatic brain injury 
                            rehabilitation.
``1793. Traumatic brain injury transition offices.
``1794. Traumatic brain injury registry.''.
    (b) Effective Date.--The Secretary shall implement the requirements 
of subchapter IX of title 38, United States Code, as added by 
subsection (a), not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment 
of this Act.
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