House Passes Traumatic Brain Injury Act with Souder's Support

Press Release

U.S. Rep. Mark Souder voted today for House passage of S. 793, the Reauthorization of the Traumatic Brain Injury Act, which would expand and intensify programs and research related to traumatic brain injury (TBI). The bill passed the House by a majority of 392-1.

"While children and the elderly are traditionally afflicted by traumatic brain injury, many veterans experience it as well, especially those soldiers returning from Iraq," Souder said. "Before health professionals can treat TBI, they must first diagnose it, and I have cosponsored legislation in Congress that would help TBI screening."

TBI is defined as brain damage from externally-inflicted trauma to the head resulting in significant impairment to an individual's physical, psychosocial, or cognitive functional abilities. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), brain injuries are among the most likely types of injury to cause death or permanent disability. People ages 15-24 years and those over age 75 are at highest risk for TBI.

The Traumatic Brain Injury Act would reauthorize three federal agencies (the CDC, the National Institutes of Health, and the Health Resources Service Administration) to conduct research on TBI, award grants to states to operate TBI registries, and educated the public on TBI. The Act will now be sent to the President, who is expected to sign it into law.

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