IV 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. RES. 1049 

Expressing the need for enhanced public awareness of traumatic brain injury 

and support for the designation of a National Brain Injury Awareness Month. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MARCH 1, 2024 

Mr. PASCRELL (for himself and Mr. BACON) submitted the following 

resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce 

RESOLUTION 

Expressing the need for enhanced public awareness of traumatic brain injury and support for the designation of 

a National Brain Injury Awareness Month. 

Whereas traumatic brain injury (TBI) occurs when brain 

function is altered by an external force, such as when 

something strikes the head or when the head hits something as the result of a fall, motor vehicle accident, assault, or other event; 

Whereas the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 

(CDC) has reported that 2,500,000 people sustain a 

nonfatal TBI each year; 

Whereas the CDC estimated that 5,300,000 Americans are 

living with long-term disabilities as a result of brain injury and millions more are suffering from the residual effects of less severe TBIs; 


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2 

•HRES 1049 IH 

Whereas CDC data suggests that TBIs accounted for approximately 214,110 hospitalizations annually in 2021; 

Whereas the CDC found that there were 69,473 TBI-related 

deaths in 2021, meaning about 190 Americans died from 

TBI-related injury each day; 

Whereas traumatic brain injury (TBI) has been called a ‘‘signature injury’’ of Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts; 

Whereas the Department of Defense reported that between 

the years 2000 and 2017, 375,000 military members 

were diagnosed with a TBI; 

Whereas the Institute of Medicine concluded that military 

servicemembers are at increased risk of long-term health 

issues from TBIs including depression, Alzheimer’s-like 

symptoms, post-traumatic stress disorder, seizures, and 

problems with social functioning; 

Whereas the effects of a TBI diagnosis of our men and 

women in uniform is difficult because these injuries are 

oftentimes invisible and hard to trace; 

Whereas traumatic brain injury is a leading cause of death 

and disability among children and young adults in the 

United States; 

Whereas 15 percent of high school youth report sports or 

recreation-related concussions annually; 

Whereas most cases of traumatic brain injury are preventable; 

Whereas the lack of public awareness is so vast that traumatic brain injury has been known in the disability community as the Nation’s ‘‘silent epidemic’’; 


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3 

•HRES 1049 IH 

Whereas the designation of a National Brain Injury Awareness Month will enhance public awareness of traumatic 

brain injury; and 

Whereas advocacy organizations, including the Brain Injury 

Association of America, the National Association of State 

Head Injury Administrators and the United States Brain 

Injury Alliance, have all recognized March as Brain Injury Awareness Month: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) recognizes the life-altering impact traumatic 

3 brain injury may have both on Americans living with 

4 the resultant disabilities and on their families; 

5 (2) recognizes the need for enhanced public 

6 awareness of traumatic brain injury; 

7 (3) supports the designation of an appropriate 

8 month as National Brain Injury Awareness Month; 

9 and 

10 (4) encourages the President to issue a procla11 mation designating such a month. 

Æ 


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