110th Congress

P.L. 110-206 - Reauthorization of the Traumatic Brain Injury Act

On April 28, 2008, the President signed into law S. 793, the Traumatic Brain Injury Act of 2008, as Public Law 110-206. The Act, introduced originally by Senator Orrin Hatch (R-UT), reauthorizes the Traumatic Brain Injury Act, authorizes funding for research, treatment, surveillance, and education activities related to trauma at HRSA and CDC, and NIH's trauma research program, providing authorizations for FY2009-FY2012. For NIH, it requires the Secretary, HHS, acting through CDC and NIH, to report to the relevant congressional committees on activities and procedures that can be implemented by the CDC, Department of Defense, and Department of Veterans Affairs to improve the collection and dissemination of compatible epidemiological studies on the incidence and prevalence of traumatic brain injury in the military and veterans populations who return to civilian life.

In addition, the Act revises the national program for traumatic brain injury registries and authorizes CDC to conduct a study to: (1) determine the incidence of traumatic brain injury and prevalence of traumatic brain injury related disability, (2) report national trends in traumatic brain injury, (3) identify common therapeutic interventions which are used for the rehabilitation of individuals with such injuries, (4) identify interventions and therapies that can prevent or remediate the development of secondary neurologic conditions related to traumatic brain injury, and (5) develop practice guidelines for such rehabilitation. It also provides authorization to HRSA regarding traumatic brain injury, and directs the Comptroller General to conduct a study regarding members of the armed forces who have acquired a disability resulting from a traumatic brain injury incurred while serving in Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom that examines how these individuals are being reintegrated into their communities.