I 

110TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1944 

To amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Veterans 

Affairs to screen certain veterans for symptoms of traumatic brain injury, 

and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

APRIL 19, 2007 

Mr. ALTMIRE (for himself, Mr. FILNER, Mr. MICHAUD, Mr. MILLER of Florida, Mr. BOSWELL, Mr. BROWN of South Carolina, Ms. HERSETH

SANDLIN, Mr. SMITH of New Jersey, Mr. DONNELLY, Mr. JONES of 

North Carolina, Mr. RODRIGUEZ, Mr. RAMSTAD, Mr. ELLSWORTH, Mr. 

HARE, Mr. ARCURI, Mr. CARNEY, Mr. PATRICK J. MURPHY of Pennsylvania, Mr. SPACE, Mr. KAGEN, Ms. CORRINE BROWN of Florida, Mr. 

ALLEN, Ms. BERKLEY, Mr. MCNERNEY, Mr. HALL of New York, Mr. 

KENNEDY, Ms. CASTOR, Ms. SCHWARTZ, Mr. MAHONEY of Florida, Mrs. 

NAPOLITANO, Mr. RYAN of Ohio, Mr. MEEK of Florida, Ms. LINDA T. 

SA ́NCHEZ of California, Mr. COURTNEY, and Mr. MURPHY of Connecticut) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

A BILL 

To amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to screen certain veterans 

for symptoms of traumatic brain injury, and for other 

purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 


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1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

2 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Veterans Traumatic 

3 Brain Injury Treatment Act of 2007’’. 

4 SEC. 2. SCREENING, REHABILITATION, AND TREATMENT 

5 FOR TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY. 

6 (a) SCREENING, REHABILITATION, AND TREATMENT

7 FOR TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY.— 

8 (1) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 17 of title 38, 

9 United States Code, is amended by adding at the 

10 end the following new subchapter: 

11 ‘‘SUBCHAPTER IX—TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY 

12 ‘‘§ 1791. Screening for traumatic brain injuries 

13 ‘‘(a) SCREENING PROGRAM.—The Secretary shall es14 tablish a program to screen veterans who are eligible for 

15 hospital care, medical services, and nursing home care 

16 under section 1710(e)(1)(D) of this title for symptoms of 

17 traumatic brain injury. 

18 ‘‘(b) REPORT.—Not later than one year after the 

19 date of the enactment of this section, and annually there20 after, the Secretary shall submit to the Committees on 

21 Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate and the House of Rep22 resentatives a report containing the following information: 

23 ‘‘(1) The number of veterans screened under 

24 the program during the year preceding such report. 


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1 ‘‘(2) The prevalence of traumatic brain injury 

2 symptoms among the veterans screened under the 

3 program. 

4 ‘‘(3) Recommendations for improving care and 

5 services to veterans exhibiting symptoms of trau6 matic brain injury. 

7 ‘‘§ 1792. Comprehensive program for long-term trau8 matic brain injury rehabilitation 

9 ‘‘(a) COMPREHENSIVE PROGRAM.—The Secretary 

10 shall develop and carry out a comprehensive program of 

11 long-term care for post-acute traumatic brain injury reha12 bilitation that includes residential, community, and home13 based components utilizing interdisciplinary treatment 

14 teams. 

15 ‘‘(b) LOCATION OF PROGRAM.—The Secretary shall 

16 carry out the program developed under subsection (a) in 

17 four geographically dispersed polytrauma network sites 

18 designated by the Secretary. 

19 ‘‘(c) ELIGIBILITY.—A veteran is eligible for care 

20 under the program developed under subsection (a) if the 

21 veteran is otherwise eligible for care under this chapter 

22 and— 

23 ‘‘(1) served on active duty in a theater of com24 bat operations (as determined by the Secretary in 

25 consultation with the Secretary of Defense) during a 


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1 period of war after the Persian Gulf War, or in com2 bat against a hostile force during a period of hos3 tilities (as defined in section 1712A(a)(2)(B) of this 

4 title) after November 11, 1998; 

5 ‘‘(2) is diagnosed as suffering from moderate to 

6 severe traumatic brain injury; and 

7 ‘‘(3) is unable to manage routine activities of 

8 daily living without supervision or assistance. 

9 ‘‘(d) REPORT.—Not later than one year after the 

10 date of the enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter, 

11 the Secretary shall submit to the Committees on Veterans’ 

12 Affairs of the Senate and the House of Representatives 

13 a report containing the following information: 

14 ‘‘(1) A description of the operation of the pro15 gram. 

16 ‘‘(2) The number of veterans provided care 

17 under the program during the year preceding such 

18 report. 

19 ‘‘(3) The annual cost of operating the program. 

20 ‘‘§ 1793. Traumatic brain injury transition offices 

21 ‘‘(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary shall estab22 lish a traumatic brain injury transition office at each De23 partment polytrauma network site for the purposes of co24 ordinating the provision of health-care and services to vet25 erans who suffer from moderate to severe traumatic brain 


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1 injuries and are in need of health-care and services not 

2 immediately offered by the Department. 

3 ‘‘(b) COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS.—The Secretary, 

4 through each such office established under subsection (a), 

5 shall have the authority to arrange for the provision of 

6 health-care and services through cooperative agreements 

7 with appropriate public or private entities that have estab8 lished long-term neurobehavioral rehabilitation and recov9 ery programs. 

10 ‘‘§ 1794. Traumatic brain injury registry 

11 ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall establish 

12 and maintain a registry to be known as the ‘Traumatic 

13 Brain Injury Veterans’ Health Registry’ (in this section 

14 referred to as the ‘Registry’). 

15 ‘‘(b) DESCRIPTION.—The Registry shall include the 

16 following information: 

17 ‘‘(1) A list containing the name of each indi18 vidual who served as a member of the Armed Forces 

19 in Operation Enduring Freedom or Operation Iraqi 

20 Freedom who exhibits symptoms associated with 

21 traumatic brain injury and who— 

22 ‘‘(A) applies for care and services from the 

23 Department under this chapter; or 

24 ‘‘(B) files a claim for compensation under 

25 chapter 11 of this title on the basis of any disVerDate Aug 31 2005 23:41 Apr 20, 2007 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1944.IH H1944

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1 ability which may be associated with such serv2 ice; and 

3 ‘‘(2) any relevant medical data relating to the 

4 health status of an individual described in paragraph 

5 (1) and any other information the Secretary con6 siders relevant and appropriate with respect to such 

7 an individual if the individual— 

8 ‘‘(A) grants permission to the Secretary to 

9 include such information in the Registry; or 

10 ‘‘(B) is deceased at the time such indi11 vidual is listed in the Registry. 

12 ‘‘(c) NOTIFICATION.—The Secretary shall notify indi13 viduals listed in the Registry of significant developments 

14 in research on the health consequences of military service 

15 in the Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi 

16 Freedom theaters of operations.’’. 

17 (2) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of con18 tents at the beginning of such chapter is amended 

19 by adding at the end the following new items: 

‘‘SUBCHAPTER IX—TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY

‘‘1791. Screening for traumatic brain injuries. 

‘‘1792. Comprehensive program for long-term traumatic brain injury rehabilitation. 

‘‘1793. Traumatic brain injury transition offices. 

‘‘1794. Traumatic brain injury registry.’’. 

20 (b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The Secretary shall imple21 ment the requirements of subchapter IX of title 38, 


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1 United States Code, as added by subsection (a), not later 

2 than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act. 

Æ 


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