TITLE: Recognizing March 2013 as Brain Injury Awareness Month in Texas.

SUMMARY: Recognizing March 2013 as Brain Injury Awareness Month in Texas.

FULL TEXT:
WHEREAS, Traumatic brain injuries are a dangerous reality for many Texans, but there have been significant advances toward better awareness, understanding, and support over the past several years; and WHEREAS, Approximately 144,000 Texans sustain traumatic brain injuries annually, and about 5,700 of those are left permanently disabled; an estimated 440,000 Texans are currently living with a disability caused by traumatic brain injury, which remains the leading cause of death and disability in persons under 45 and is especially common among children and teenagers; moreover, the projected economic cost of these problems in Texas totals some $6.8 billion per year; and WHEREAS, In order to mitigate the societal impact of this type of trauma, the 78th Texas Legislature established the Texas Traumatic Brain Injury Advisory Council and charged it with identifying individuals with TBIs, informing state leadership of their needs, recommending policies to address those needs, encouraging research into causes and prevention, and promoting awareness; in the past several years, the TBIAC has accomplished these core responsibilities by implementing a myriad of successful programs across the state; and WHEREAS, The council, with members appointed by the executive commissioner of the Texas Health and Human Services Commission, has partnered with various agencies to ensure that individuals with TBIs have access to adequate and high quality care; created in 2007, the Office of Acquired Brain Injury researched and provided several options to fund waivers for affected patients; the OABI and TBIAC have collaborated on the development of accredited online training courses for public health professionals, caregivers, social workers, survivors, law enforcement personnel, and family members dealing with TBIs; the OABI and the council also teamed up with the Texas Education Agency to create a resource on TBIs and successful communicatio nand teaching skills for educators; and WHEREAS, A large number of United States service members suffer from TBIs, especially those returning from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the TBIAC has worked especially hard to help these brave men and women manage their conditions; with the OABI and the Department of Veterans Affairs, the council released an instructional video in both English and Spanish that offers advice for effective communication and reviews available resources for veterans with TBIs; and WHEREAS, Traumatic brain injuries affect Texans from all backgrounds and of all ages, and it is fitting to take this opportunity to celebrate the achievements of those who have sustained brain injuries and to pay tribute to the many caregivers and professionals who support them; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 83rd Texas Legislature hereby recognize March 2013 as Brain Injury Awareness Month and honor the work of the Texas Traumatic Brain Injury Advisory Council; and, be it further RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be prepared for the TBIAC as an expression of high regard by the Texas House of Representatives. Zerwas Price Straus M. Gonzalez of El Paso Oliveira Allen N. Gonzalez of El Paso Orr Alonzo Gooden Otto Alvarado Guerra Paddie Anchia Guillen Parker Anderson Gutierrez Patrick Ashby Harless Perez Aycock Harper-Brown Perry Bell Hernandez Luna Phillips Bohac Herrero Pickett Bonnen of Brazoria Hilderbran Pitts Bonnen of Galveston Howard Price Branch Huberty Raney Burkett Hughes Ratliff Burnam Hunter Raymond Button Isaac Reynolds Callegari Johnson Riddle Canales Kacal Ritter Capriglione Keffer Rodriguez of Bexar Carter King of Hemphill Rodriguez of Travis Clardy King of Parker Rose Coleman King of Taylor Sanford Collier King of Zavala Schaefer Cook Kleinschmidt Sheets Cortez Klick Sheffield of Bell Craddick Kolkhorst Sheffield of Coryell Creighton Krause Simmons Crownover Kuempel Simpson Dale Larson Smith Darby Laubenberg Smithee Davis of Dallas Lavender Springer J. Davis of Harris Leach Stephenson S. Davis of Harris Lewis Stickland Deshotel Longoria Strama Dukes Lozano Taylor Dutton Lucio III Thompson of Brazoria Eiland Marquez Thompson of Harris Elkins Martinez Toth Fallon Martinez Fischer Turner of Collin Farias McClendon Turner of Harris Farney Menendez Turner of Tarrant Farrar Miles Villalba Fletcher Miller of Comal Villarreal Flynn Miller of Fort Bend Vo Frank Moody Walle Frullo Morrison White Geren Munoz, Jr. Workman Giddings Murphy Wu Goldman Naishtat Zedler Gonzales Nevarez Zerwas Speaker of the House I certify that H.R. No. 606 was adopted by the House on February 27, 2013, by a non-record vote. Chief Clerk of the House