(5) clinicians with expertise in brain injury; 
(6) research scientists with experience con-
ducting brain research or utilizing surveillance sys-
tems for scientific research purposes; 
(7) medical facilities of the Department of Vet-
erans Affairs; and 
(8) behavioral health centers. 
(e) GRANTS.—The Secretary may award grants to, 
or enter into contracts or cooperative agreements with, 
public or private nonprofit entities to carry out activities 
under this section. 
(f) COORDINATION WITH OTHER FEDERAL AGEN-
CIES.—Subject to subsection (h), the Secretary shall make 
information and analysis in the National Traumatic Brain 
Injury Surveillance System available, as appropriate, to 
Federal departments and agencies, such as the National 
Institutes of Health, the Health Resources and Services 
Administration, the Food and Drug Administration, the 
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, the Agency for 
Healthcare Research and Quality, the Department of Edu-
cation, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and the De-
partment of Defense. 
(g) PUBLIC ACCESS.—Subject to subsection (h), the 
Secretary shall make information and analysis in the Na-
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tional Traumatic Brain Injury Surveillance System avail-
able, as appropriate, to the public, including researchers. 
(h) PRIVACY.—The Secretary shall ensure that pri-
vacy and security protections applicable to the National 
Traumatic Brain Injury Surveillance System are at least 
as stringent as the privacy and security protections under 
HIPAA privacy and security law, including nondisclosure 
of personally identifiable information. 
(i) REPORT.—Not later than 2 years after the date 
of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit a re-
port to the Congress concerning the implementation of 
this section. Such report shall include information on— 
(1) the development and maintenance of the 
National Traumatic Brain Injury Surveillance Sys-
tem; 
(2) the type of information collected and stored 
in the System; 
(3) the use and availability of such information, 
including guidelines for such use; and 
(4) the use and coordination of databases that 
collect or maintain information on traumatic brain 
injury. 
(j) DEFINITION.—In this Act: 
(1) NATIONAL
HEALTH
ASSOCIATION.—The 
term ‘‘national health association’’ means a national 
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nonprofit organization with chapters, other affiliated 
organizations, or networks in States throughout the 
United States. 
(2) HIPAA PRIVACY AND SECURITY LAW.—The 
term ‘‘HIPAA privacy and security law’’ has the 
meaning given to that term in section 3009 of the 
Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 300jj–19). 
(3) 
PERSONALLY
IDENTIFIABLE
INFORMA-
TION.—The term ‘‘personally identifiable informa-
tion’’ means information which can be used to dis-
tinguish or trace an individual’s identity (such as 
their name, social security number, or biometric 
records) either alone or when combined with other 
personal or identifying information which is linked 
or linkable to a specific individual (such as date of 
birth, place of birth, and mother’s maiden name). 
(4) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 
the Secretary of Health and Human Services. 
(5) SURVEILLANCE.—The term ‘‘surveillance’’ 
means the ongoing, systematic collection, analysis, 
interpretation, and dissemination of data (other than 
personally identifiable information) regarding a 
health-related event for use in public health action 
to reduce morbidity and mortality and to improve 
health. 
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(6) TRAUMATIC
BRAIN
INJURY.—The term 
‘‘traumatic brain injury’’ means an injury to the 
head arising from blunt or penetrating trauma or 
from acceleration or deceleration forces associated 
with one or more of the following: decreased level of 
consciousness, amnesia, objective neurologic or 
neuropsychological abnormalities, skull fractures, di-
agnosed intracranial lesions, or head injury listed as 
a cause of death in the death certificate. 
(k) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—To carry 
out this Act, there are authorized to be appropriated such 
sums as may be necessary. 
Æ 
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