I 

115TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 5528 

To direct the Secretary of Defense to submit to Congress a plan for 

improvements to traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress research. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

APRIL 17, 2018 

Mr. BACON (for himself, Mr. KELLY of Mississippi, Mr. BRADY of Pennsylvania, Ms. SHEA-PORTER, and Ms. ROSEN) introduced the following bill; 

which was referred to the Committee on Armed Services 

A BILL 

To direct the Secretary of Defense to submit to Congress 

a plan for improvements to traumatic brain injury and 

post-traumatic stress research. 

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

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Speed Warrior Out5 comes, Research, Detection and Diagnosis Act of 2018’’ 

6 or the ‘‘SWORDD Act of 2018’’. 

7 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

8 Congress finds the following: 


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1 (1) The Department of Defense and the De2 fense and Veterans Brain Injury Center estimate 

3 that 22 percent of all combat casualties from con4 flicts in Iraq and Afghanistan are brain injuries, 

5 compared to 12 percent of Vietnam-related combat 

6 casualties. 

7 (2) The complex physiology of the human brain 

8 presents unique challenges in the diagnosis and 

9 treatment of these injuries, and places significant 

10 emotional and financial burdens on families living 

11 with those who suffer from post-traumatic stress 

12 and traumatic brain injuries. 

13 (3) Despite considerable effort and investment 

14 devoted to the diagnosis and treatment of invisible 

15 wounds incurred from military service during the 

16 past decade, detection and diagnostic methods, 

17 therapies, and outcomes for post-traumatic stress 

18 and traumatic brain injuries are still not reaching 

19 the military and veteran population fast enough. 

20 (4) Accelerating innovation and treatment deliv21 ery for brain disease, particularly traumatic brain 

22 injury and post-traumatic stress, would be assisted 

23 by policies to improve collaboration between the De24 partment of Defense, the National Institutes of 

25 Health, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and 


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1 medical research translation offices at major univer2 sities. 

3 (5) Existing interagency mechanisms, such as 

4 the Federal Interagency Traumatic Brain Injury Re5 search and the Chronic Effects Neurotrama Consor6 tium, play an important role in enabling break7 through therapies for traumatic brain injury and 

8 post-traumatic stress by sharing science between 

9 military and nonmilitary patients affected by brain 

10 disease; however, new partnerships, policies, and 

11 processes are required to speed treatment by more 

12 effectively combining scientific research, commercial 

13 technologies, and private equity firm resources to ac14 celerate the detection, diagnosis, and delivery of 

15 therapies for military patients. 

16 (6) Within the Department of Defense, the De17 fense Health Agency serves as the lead advocate for 

18 brain disease diagnosis and treatment for members 

19 of the Armed Forces. 

20 SEC. 3. PLAN FOR IMPROVEMENTS TO TRAUMATIC BRAIN 

21 INJURY AND POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS RE22 SEARCH. 

23 Not later than 180 days after the date of the enact24 ment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall submit 

25 to the congressional defense committees (as defined in secVerDate Sep 11 2014 23:15 Apr 20, 2018 Jkt 079200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H5528.IH H5528

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1 tion 101(a)(16) of title 10, United States Code) a report 

2 containing the following: 

3 (1) A plan— 

4 (A) for the Director of the Defense Health 

5 Agency, in collaboration with the National In6 stitutes of Health, the Secretary of Veterans 

7 Affairs, major universities, and private firms, as 

8 appropriate, to accelerate cooperative research, 

9 development, and the fielding of breakthrough 

10 therapies for traumatic brain injury and post11 traumatic stress; 

12 (B) describing actions for the Director to 

13 maximize the coordination and use of scientific 

14 research efforts carried out by other elements of 

15 the Department of Defense, the National Insti16 tutes of Health, the Secretary of Veterans Af17 fairs, major universities, and private firms, as 

18 appropriate; 

19 (C) describing the strategy of the Depart20 ment of Defense to leverage existing other 

21 transaction agreements pursuant to section 

22 2371 of title 10, United States Code, such as 

23 the Medical Technology Enterprise Consortium 

24 of the Army, to encourage financial collabora25 tion and accelerate breakthrough therapies for 


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1 the treatment of traumatic brain injury and 

2 post-traumatic stress; and 

3 (D) describing new processes to accelerate 

4 scientific research and delivery of breakthrough 

5 therapies for traumatic brain injury and post6 traumatic stress. 

7 (2) Recommendations by the Secretary for exec8 utive or legislative actions necessary to carry out the 

9 plan. 

Æ 


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