[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 10]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 13728-13729]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




         INTRODUCTION OF THE TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY ACT OF 2006

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. BILL PASCRELL, JR.

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, June 29, 2006

  Mr. PASCRELL. Mr. Speaker, today, my colleague Todd Platts of 
Pennsylvania and I are introducing the Traumatic Brain Injury Act of 
2006. We are joined by a bipartisan group of original cosponsors, a 
complete list of which follows this statement.
  Originally passed in 1996 and reauthorized in 2000, the TBI Act is 
designed to promote sound and coordinated public policy in brain injury 
prevention, research, education, treatment and community-bases services 
and supports for individuals living with a TBI and their families. The 
Act also encourages basic and translational scientific research.
  It is the only Federal law that specifically addresses the issues 
faced by persons with brain injury.
  As a founding co-chairman of the Congressional Brain Injury Task 
Force, I have witnessed first hand how these programs make a difference 
in people's lives and have worked to educate your colleagues on the 
enormous impact traumatic brain injury has on our society.
  Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is a leading cause of death and 
disability in young Americans. Approximately 1.4 million Americans 
experience TBI each year. Every 21 seconds, one person in the United 
States sustains a traumatic brain injury. About half of these cases 
result in at least short-term disability, and 50,000 people die as a 
result of their injuries. Every year about 80,000 people sustain severe 
brain injuries leading to long term disability.
  An estimated 5.3 million Americans are living with long term, severe 
disability as a result of brain injury. The national cost is estimated 
at more than $60 billion annually.
  Individuals with TBI account for 2 percent of the total US population 
and represent nearly 10 percent of our Nation's disability population.
  The statistics involving brain injury are increasing even more now 
that reports show that traumatic brain injuries account for 14 percent 
to 20 percent of casualties for those who survive combat in Iraq. 
Despite the staggering statistics, TBI remains the ``silent epidemic'' 
in this country.
  In fact, the annual incidence and prevalence of TBI is higher than 
breast cancer, multiple sclerosis, spinal cord injury and HIV/AIDS 
combined. Despite these staggering statistics, TBI remains a silent 
epidemic plaguing our Nation.
  Traumatic Brain Injury is a unique issue. An epidemic so vast it is 
almost overwhelming and so personal its effects defy definition. It is 
a global health problem and there is no cure.

[[Page 13729]]

  For 10 years, the Traumatic Brain Injury Act has successfully 
provided direction and legal authority for the vast traumatic brain 
injury community. The Act was not designed to provide direct care to 
persons with TBI, but rather, to inform. Before the TBI Act, the State 
governments were left basically on their own. The Health Resources and 
Services Administration (HRSA) grants have helped states to improve 
access to health and other services for persons with TBI. Prior to the 
1996 law, they did not have the tools to even assess their own needs.
  Thanks to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), we 
now have a record of incidents including details and prevalence, plans 
for prevention, and finally, access to treatment. We have also begun to 
educate the public and provide much needed scientific data for our 
scientists, healthcare providers and policy makers.
  In 1998, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) issued a report on 
the rehabilitation of persons with brain injury. The consensus was that 
more research was needed so the NIH established brain injury centers 
all over the country.
  The Traumatic Brain Injury Act of 2006 builds on the law's successes.
  It directs the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to 
make grants to States to coordinate, expand, and enhance service 
delivery systems and charges the Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention (CDC) with identifying strategies to prevent TBI, as well as 
increasing awareness and understanding of TBI by implementing public 
education programs. Finally, the legislation directs the National 
Institutes of Health (NIH) to conduct much needed basic and applied 
research on brain injury rehabilitation and development of a cure.
  With such a vast and diverse community, it is often difficult for the 
TBI community to speak with a unified voice. This bill represents a 
consensus among the national stakeholders who strongly support swift 
action on the bill this year.
  The Congressional Brain Injury Task Force is dedicated to the health 
of these programs as part of a larger goal of improving the quality of 
life for those who have sustained brain Injuries.
  Mr. Speaker, only a strong commitment will allow us to continue the 
incredible advances we have made in the area of basic brain research; 
prevention, detection and early treatment; physical and mental 
rehabilitation; long-term care and patient advocacy issues.
  I invite my colleagues to join me in cosponsoring this critically 
important bill, and I urge the committee of jurisdiction to consider it 
without delay.
  Original Cosponsors, The Traumatic Brain Injury Act of 2006: Platts, 
Andrews, Boswell, Boucher, Boyd, Brady (PA), Brown (SC), Brown (OH), 
Capuano, Cleaver, Davis (VA), Davis (CA), Davis (IL), DeFazio, Drake, 
Emanuel, Etheridge, Farr, Goode, G. Green (TX), Hayes, Herseth, 
Higgins, Hinchey, Hinojosa, Holden, Holt, Inglis, Jackson Lee, 
Jefferson, Kennedy (RI), Kildee, Kuhl, LoBiondo, Markey, McCarthy, 
McCotter, McDermott, McGovern, McNulty, Meeks, Miller (FL), Moran (VA), 
Nadler, Neal, Owens, Pallone, Payne, Ruppersberger, Sanders, Saxton, 
Schwartz (PA), Strickland, Towns, Van Hollen, Waxman, Wexler, Woolsey, 
Wynn.

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