119-hr1493

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1493 Introduced in House

    (IH) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 H. R. 1493

 To reauthorize and make improvements to Federal programs relating to 
 the prevention, detection, and treatment of traumatic brain injuries, 
 and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

 February 21, 2025

 Mr. Pallone (for himself, Mr. Bacon, Mr. Menendez, and Mr. Crenshaw) 
 introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
 Energy and Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

 A BILL

 To reauthorize and make improvements to Federal programs relating to 
 the prevention, detection, and treatment of traumatic brain injuries, 
 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. PROGRAMS TO PREVENT, DETECT, AND TREAT TRAUMATIC BRAIN 
 INJURIES.

    (a) The Bill Pascrell, Jr., National Program for Traumatic Brain 
Injury Surveillance and Registries.--

    (1) Prevention of traumatic brain injury.--

Section 393B of 
 the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 280b-1c) is amended--
        (A) in subsection

    (a) , by inserting ``and 
 prevalence'' after ``incidence'';
        (B) in subsection

    (b) --
            (i) in paragraph

    (1) , by inserting ``and 
 reduction of associated injuries and 
 fatalities'' before the semicolon;
            (ii) in paragraph

    (2) , by inserting ``and 
 related risk factors'' before the semicolon; 
 and
            (iii) in paragraph

    (3) --
            (I) in the matter preceding 
 subparagraph
        (A) , by striking ``2020'' 
 each place it appears and inserting 
 ``2030''; and
            (II) in subparagraph
        (A) --

    (aa) in clause
            (i) , by 
 striking ``; and'' and 
 inserting ``of traumatic brain 
 injury;'';

    (bb) by redesignating 
 clause
            (ii) as clause
            (iv) ;
            (cc) by inserting after 
 clause
            (i) the following:
 ``
            (ii) populations at higher risk of 
 traumatic brain injury, including populations 
 whose increased risk is due to occupational or 
 circumstantial factors;
 ``
            (iii) causes of, and risk factors for, 
 traumatic brain injury; and''; and
            (dd) in clause
            (iv) , as so 
 redesignated, by striking 
 ``arising from traumatic brain 
 injury'' and inserting ``, 
 which may include related 
 mental health and other 
 conditions, arising from 
 traumatic brain injury, 
 including''; and
            (C) in subsection
            (c) , by inserting ``, and other 
 relevant Federal departments and agencies'' before the 
 period at the end.

    (2) National program for traumatic brain injury 
 surveillance and registries.--

Section 393C of the Public Health 
 Service Act (42 U.S.C. 280b-1d) is amended--
        (A) by amending the section heading to read as 
 follows: ``the bill pascrell, jr., national program for 
 traumatic brain injury surveillance and registries'';
        (B) in subsection

    (a) --
            (i) in the matter preceding paragraph

    (1) , 
 by inserting ``to identify populations that may 
 be at higher risk for traumatic brain injuries, 
 to collect data on the causes of, and risk 
 factors for, traumatic brain injuries,'' after 
 ``related disability,'';
            (ii) in paragraph

    (1) , by inserting ``, 
 including the occupation of the individual, 
 when relevant to the circumstances surrounding 
 the injury'' before the semicolon; and
            (iii) in paragraph

    (4) , by inserting 
 ``short- and long-term'' before ``outcomes'';
            (C) by striking subsection

    (b) ;
            (D) by redesignating subsection
            (c) as subsection

    (b) ;
        (E) in subsection

    (b) , as so redesignated, by 
 inserting ``and evidence-based practices to identify 
 and address concussion'' before the period at the end; 
 and
        (F) by adding at the end the following:
 ``
            (c) Availability of Information.--The Secretary, acting through 
the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, shall 
make publicly available aggregated information on traumatic brain 
injury and concussion described in this section, including on the 
website of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Such 
website, to the extent feasible, shall include aggregated information 
on populations that may be at higher risk for traumatic brain injuries 
and strategies for preventing or reducing risk of traumatic brain 
injury that are tailored to such populations.''.

    (3) Authorization of appropriations.--

Section 394A of the 
 Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 280b-3) is amended--
        (A) in subsection

    (a) , by striking ``1994, and'' 
 and inserting ``1994,''; and
        (B) in subsection

    (b) , by striking ``2020 through 
 2024'' and inserting ``2026 through 2030''.

    (b) State Grant Programs.--

    (1) State grants for projects regarding traumatic brain 
 injury.--

Section 1252 of the Public Health Service Act (42 
 U.S.C. 300d-52) is amended--
        (A) in subsection

    (b)

    (2) --
            (i) by inserting ``, taking into 
 consideration populations that may be at higher 
 risk for traumatic brain injuries'' after 
 ``outreach programs''; and
            (ii) by inserting ``Tribal,'' after 
 ``State,'';
        (B) in subsection
            (c) , by adding at the end the 
 following:
 ``

    (3) Maintenance of effort.--With respect to activities 
 for which a grant awarded under subsection

    (a) is to be 
 expended, a State or American Indian consortium shall agree to 
 maintain expenditures of non-Federal amounts for such 
 activities at a level that is not less than the level of such 
 expenditures maintained by the State or American Indian 
 consortium for the fiscal year preceding the fiscal year for 
 which the State or American Indian consortium receives such a 
 grant.
 ``

    (4) Waiver.--The Secretary may, upon the request of a 
 State or American Indian consortium, waive not more than 50 
 percent of the matching fund amount under paragraph

    (1) , if the 
 Secretary determines that such matching fund amount would 
 result in an inability of the State or American Indian 
 consortium to carry out the purposes under subsection

    (a) . A 
 waiver provided by the Secretary under this paragraph shall 
 apply only to the fiscal year involved.'';
            (C) in subsection

    (e)

    (3)
        (B) --
            (i) by striking ``(such as third party 
 payers, State agencies, community-based 
 providers, schools, and educators)''; and
            (ii) by inserting ``(such as third party 
 payers, State agencies, community-based 
 providers, schools, and educators)'' after 
 ``professionals'';
            (D) in subsection

    (h) , by striking paragraphs

    (1) and

    (2) and inserting the following:
 ``

    (1) American indian consortium; state.--The terms 
 `American Indian consortium' and `State' have the meanings 
 given such terms in 

section 1253.
 ``

    (2) Traumatic brain injury.--
 ``
        (A) In general.--Subject to subparagraph
        (B) , the 
 term `traumatic brain injury'--
 ``
            (i) means an acquired injury to the 
 brain;
 ``
            (ii) may include--
 ``
            (I) brain injuries caused by 
 anoxia due to trauma; and
 ``
            (II) damage to the brain from an 
 internal or external source that 
 results in infection, toxicity, 
 surgery, or vascular disorders not 
 associated with aging; and
 ``
            (iii) does not include brain dysfunction 
 caused by congenital or degenerative disorders, 
 or birth trauma.
 ``
        (B) Revisions to 

=== definition. ===
-The Secretary may 
 revise the definition of the term `traumatic brain 
 injury' under this paragraph, as the Secretary 
 determines necessary, after consultation with States 
 and other appropriate public or nonprofit private 
 entities.''; and
        (E) in subsection
            (i) , by striking ``2020 through 
 2024'' and inserting ``2026 through 2030''.

    (2) State grants for protection and advocacy services.--
 

Section 1253
            (l) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 
 300d-53
            (l) ) is amended by striking ``2020 through 2024'' and 
 inserting ``2026 through 2030''.
            (c) Report to Congress.--Not later than 2 years after the date of 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Health and Human Services 
(referred to in this Act as the ``Secretary'') shall submit to the 
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate and 
the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives a 
report that contains--

    (1) an overview of populations who may be at higher risk 
 for traumatic brain injury, such as individuals affected by 
 domestic violence or sexual assault and public safety officers 
 as defined in 

section 1204 of the Omnibus Crime Control and 
 Safe Streets Act of 1968 (34 U.S.C. 10284);

    (2) an outline of existing surveys and activities of the 
 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on traumatic brain 
 injuries and any steps the agency has taken to address gaps in 
 data collection related to such higher risk populations, which 
 may include leveraging surveys such as the National Intimate 
 Partner and Sexual Violence Survey to collect data on traumatic 
 brain injuries;

    (3) an overview of any outreach or education efforts to 
 reach such higher risk populations; and

    (4) any challenges associated with reaching such higher 
 risk populations.
            (d) Study on Long-Term Symptoms or Conditions Related to Traumatic 
Brain Injury.--

    (1) In general.--The Secretary, in consultation with 
 stakeholders and the heads of other relevant Federal 
 departments and agencies, as appropriate, shall conduct, either 
 directly or through a contract with a nonprofit private entity, 
 a study to--
        (A) examine the incidence and prevalence of long-
 term or chronic symptoms or conditions in individuals 
 who have experienced a traumatic brain injury;
        (B) examine the evidence base of research related 
 to the chronic effects of traumatic brain injury across 
 the lifespan;
            (C) examine any correlations between traumatic 
 brain injury and increased risk of other conditions, 
 such as dementia and mental health conditions;
            (D) assess existing services available for 
 individuals with such long-term or chronic symptoms or 
 conditions; and
        (E) identify any gaps in research related to such 
 long-term or chronic symptoms or conditions of 
 individuals who have experienced a traumatic brain 
 injury.

    (2) Public report.--Not later than 2 years after the date 
 of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall--
        (A) submit to the Committee on Energy and Commerce 
 of the House of Representatives and the Committee on 
 Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate a 
 report detailing the findings, conclusions, and 
 recommendations of the study described in paragraph

    (1) ; and
        (B) in the case that such study is conducted 
 directly by the Secretary, make the report described in 
 subparagraph
        (A) publicly available on the website of 
 the Department of Health and Human Services.
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