II 

117TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 3963 

To protect survivors from brain injury by authorizing the Secretary of Health 

and Human Services to collect data on the prevalence of brain injuries 

resulting from domestic and sexual violence. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

MARCH 30, 2022 

Ms. CORTEZ MASTO (for herself and Ms. ERNST) introduced the following bill; 

which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions 

A BILL 

To protect survivors from brain injury by authorizing the 

Secretary of Health and Human Services to collect data 

on the prevalence of brain injuries resulting from domestic and sexual violence. 

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 ‘‘Protecting Survivors 

5 from Traumatic Brain Injury Act of 2022’’. 

6 SEC. 2. DATA COLLECTION. 

7 (a) COLLECTION OF DATA ON BRAIN INJURIES RE8 LATED TO DOMESTIC AND SEXUAL VIOLENCE.— 


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•S 3963 IS

1 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Health and 

2 Human Services (referred to in this section as the 

3 ‘‘Secretary’’) shall collect data on the prevalence of 

4 brain injuries resulting from domestic and sexual vi5 olence in order to assist the Department in under6 standing, addressing, and allocating resources to re7 duce and treat such injuries and the cause of such 

8 injuries. 

9 (2) COLLECTION.—In carrying out paragraph 

10 (1), the Secretary shall distribute a survey that fol11 lows up on, and operates under the National Inti12 mate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey (NISVS) 

13 that will ask questions about the prevalence and cir14 cumstances surrounding brain injuries due to domes15 tic and sexual violence. The Secretary shall allow for 

16 data collection for not fewer than 2 years. 

17 (3) PRIVACY.—Data shall be collected, stored, 

18 and analyzed under this section in a manner that 

19 protects individual privacy and confidentiality. 

20 (b) REPORT.—Not later than 3 years after the date 

21 of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to 

22 relevant congressional committees, and post on the website 

23 of the Department of Health and Human Services, a re24 port that shall contain— 


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•S 3963 IS

1 (1) an analysis of the data collected under sub2 section (a) relating to the connection between do3 mestic and sexual violence and brain injuries; and 

4 (2) a description of the steps that the Depart5 ment of Health and Human Services is taking to in6 crease awareness, increase services, decrease preva7 lence, and otherwise respond to the public health 

8 issue of brain injury that results from domestic and 

9 sexual violence. 

10 (c) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 

11 authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be nec12 essary to carry out this section. Amounts appropriated 

13 under this subsection shall remain available for a 3-year 

14 period. 

15 (d) DEFINITION.—In this section, the term ‘‘brain in16 jury’’ means an injury that impacts the function of the 

17 brain as a result of trauma, choking, or strangulation due 

18 to domestic or sexual violence. 

Æ 


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