[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 16]
[Senate]
[Page 21913]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




   SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 67--EXPRESSING THE NEED FOR ENHANCED 
     PUBLIC AWARENESS OF TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY AND SUPPORTING THE 
         DESIGNATION OF A NATIONAL BRAIN INJURY AWARENESS MONTH

  Mr. COCHRAN (for himself, Mr. Hollings, Mr. Kennedy, and Mr. Graham 
of South Carolina) submitted the following concurrent resolution; which 
was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary:

                            S. Con. Res. 67

       Whereas traumatic brain injury is the leading cause of 
     death and disability among children and young adults in the 
     United States;
       Whereas at least 5,300,000 Americans currently live with 
     permanent disabilities resulting from traumatic brain injury;
       Whereas at least 1,500,000 Americans sustain traumatic 
     brain injury each year;
       Whereas another 80,000 Americans each year sustain lifelong 
     disabilities from traumatic brain injury, resulting in life-
     altering experiences that can include the most serious 
     physical, cognitive, and emotional impairments;
       Whereas every 21 seconds, 1 person in the United States 
     sustains traumatic brain injury;
       Whereas traumatic brain injury costs the United States 
     $48,300,000,000 annually, consisting of approximately 
     $31,700,000,000 for hospitalization expenditures and 
     approximately $16,600,000,000 for fatal brain injury 
     expenditures;
       Whereas the lack of public awareness is so vast that 
     traumatic brain injury is known in the disability community 
     as the Nation's ``silent epidemic'';
       Whereas the designation of a National Brain Injury 
     Awareness Month will work toward enhancing the public 
     awareness of traumatic brain injury;
       Whereas former President Ronald Reagan proclaimed the month 
     of October 1984 as National Head Injury Awareness Month; and
       Whereas the Brain Injury Association of America has 
     recognized October as Brain Injury Awareness Month since 
     1980: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives 
     concurring), That Congress--
       (1) recognizes the life-altering impact that traumatic 
     brain injury can have, both on Americans living with the 
     resultant disabilities and on their families;
       (2) recognizes the need for enhanced public awareness of 
     traumatic brain injury;
       (3) supports the designation of an appropriate month as 
     National Brain Injury Awareness Month; and
       (4) encourages the President to issue a proclamation 
     designating National Brain Injury Awareness Month.

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