Bill > S5600

This bill reauthorizes and updates federal programs related to traumatic brain injury (TBI)—an acquired injury to the brain resulting from external trauma, internal medical events, or lack of oxygen, but excluding congenital or degenerative conditions. Specifically, the legislation renames the national surveillance and registry program after the late Representative Bill Pascrell, Jr., and directs the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)—the federal agency responsible for protecting public health and safety—to improve tracking regarding the prevalence, causes, and occupational or circumstantial risk factors of TBIs, while making this aggregated data publicly accessible online. Additionally, the legislation extends funding authorizations from fiscal years 2027 through 2031 for state-level TBI grant programs and protection and advocacy services, broadens eligibility to include American Indian consortia, and requires the Department of Health and Human Services to submit comprehensive reports to Congress within two years evaluating high-risk populations (such as domestic violence survivors and public safety officers) and examining the long-term or chronic health effects associated with brain injuries, including connections to mental health conditions and dementia.