Personal Injury Law

President Bush Reauthorizes Traumatic Brain Injury Act

By Bruce Stern

Recently, President Bush reauthorized the Traumatic Brain Injury Act through signing it into law. This is certainly a step forward for the brain injury community. Now, our objective as a brain injury community is to ensure funding for the TBI Act. As such I encourage you to urge your Representatives in Congress to Increase Federal Funding for TBI Programs.

Beginning in June, both the House and Senate Appropriations Subcommittees are expected to hold markups on the Fiscal 2009 Labor, Health and Human Services (HHS), and Education Appropriations bill, which provides federal funding for multiple TBI programs.

Federal funding for TBI Act programs, as well as the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research’s TBI-related research programs, has deteriorated or remained stagnant over the last several years. The urgent need for increased federal support for a national TBI public health infrastructure and TBI research is further heightened by the recognition of TBI as the signature wound of combat in Iraq and Afghanistan. The need for substantially increased federal funding for TBI programs must be clearly communicated to Members of Congress in the coming days and weeks if these programs are to be adequately funded this year.

In addition, this year's appropriations process poses a great challenge, as it is expected to be delayed and manipulated as a result of election year politics.

To urge your representatives in Congress to increase federal funding for TBI programs, please visit the Brain Injury Association of America’s Legislative Action Center and fill in the requested information.

Full post as published by Traumatic Brain Injury Law Blog on June 02, 2008 (boomark / email).