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(2) determine if Department of Defense funding
for a Phase 3 clinical trial on the use of progesterone
for acute traumatic brain injury, or for further re-
search regarding the use of progesterone or its metabo-
lites for treatment of traumatic brain injury, is war-
ranted; and
(3) provide for the collaboration of the Depart-
ment of Defense, as appropriate, in clinical trials and
research on pharmacological approaches to treatment
for traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress
disorder that is conducted by other departments and
agencies of the Federal Government.
SEC. 1632. IMPROVEMENT OF MEDICAL TRACKING SYSTEM
FOR MEMBERS OF THE ARMED FORCES DE-
PLOYED OVERSEAS.
(a) PROTOCOL FOR ASSESSMENT OF COGNITIVE FUNC-
TIONING.—
(1) PROTOCOL
REQUIRED.—Subsection (b) of
section 1074f of title 10, United States Code, is
amended—
(A) in paragraph (2), by adding at the end
the following new subparagraph:
‘‘(C) An assessment of post-traumatic stress dis-
order.’’; and
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(B) by adding at the end the following new
paragraph:
‘‘(3)(A) The Secretary shall establish for purposes of
subparagraphs (B) and (C) of paragraph (2) a protocol for
the predeployment assessment and documentation of the
cognitive (including memory) functioning of a member who
is deployed outside the United States in order to facilitate
the assessment of the postdeployment cognitive (including
memory) functioning of the member.
‘‘(B) The protocol under subparagraph (A) shall in-
clude appropriate mechanisms to permit the differential di-
agnosis of traumatic brain injury in members returning
from deployment in a combat zone.’’.
(2) PILOT
PROJECTS.—(A) In developing the
protocol required by paragraph (3) of section 1074f(b)
of title 10, United States Code (as amended by para-
graph (1) of this subsection), for purposes of assess-
ments for traumatic brain injury, the Secretary of
Defense shall conduct up to three pilot projects to
evaluate various mechanisms for use in the protocol
for such purposes. One of the mechanisms to be so
evaluated shall be a computer-based assessment tool.
(B) Not later than 60 days after the completion
of the pilot projects conducted under this paragraph,
the Secretary shall submit to the appropriate commit-
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tees of Congress a report on the pilot projects. The re-
port shall include—
(i) a description of the pilot projects so con-
ducted;
(ii) an assessment of the results of each such
pilot project; and
(iii) a description of any mechanisms eval-
uated under each such pilot project that will in-
corporated into the protocol.
(C) Not later than 180 days after completion of
the pilot projects conducted under this paragraph, the
Secretary shall establish a mechanism for imple-
menting any mechanism evaluated under such a pilot
project that is selected for incorporation in the pro-
tocol.
(D) There is hereby authorized to be appro-
priated to the Department of Defense, $3,000,000 for
the pilot projects authorized by this paragraph. Of the
amount so authorized to be appropriated, not more
than $1,000,000 shall be available for any particular
pilot project.
(b) QUALITY ASSURANCE.—Subsection (d)(2) of sec-
tion 1074f of title 10, United States Code, is amended by
adding at the end the following new subparagraph:
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‘‘(F) The diagnosis and treatment of traumatic
brain injury and post-traumatic stress disorder.’’.
(c) STANDARDS FOR DEPLOYMENT.—Subsection (f) of
such section is amended—
(1) in the subsection heading, by striking ‘‘MEN-
TAL HEALTH’’; and
(2) in paragraph (2)(B), by striking ‘‘or’’ and
inserting ‘‘, traumatic brain injury, or’’.
SEC. 1633. CENTERS OF EXCELLENCE IN THE PREVENTION,
DIAGNOSIS, MITIGATION, TREATMENT, AND
REHABILITATION OF TRAUMATIC BRAIN IN-
JURY AND POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DIS-
ORDER.
(a) CENTER OF EXCELLENCE ON TRAUMATIC BRAIN
INJURY.—Chapter 55 of title 10, United States Code, is
amended by inserting after section 1105 the following new
section:
‘‘§ 1105a. Center of Excellence in Prevention, Diag-
nosis, Mitigation, Treatment, and Reha-
bilitation of Traumatic Brain Injury
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Defense shall es-
tablish within the Department of Defense a center of excel-
lence in the prevention, diagnosis, mitigation, treatment,
and rehabilitation of traumatic brain injury (TBI), includ-
ing mild, moderate, and severe traumatic brain injury, to
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carry out the responsibilities specified in subsection (c). The
center shall be known as a ‘Center of Excellence in Preven-
tion, Diagnosis, Mitigation, Treatment, and Rehabilitation
of Traumatic Brain Injury’.
‘‘(b) PARTNERSHIPS.—The Secretary shall ensure that
the Center collaborates to the maximum extent practicable
with the Department of Veterans Affairs, institutions of
higher education, and other appropriate public and private
entities (including international entities) to carry out the
responsibilities specified in subsection (c).
‘‘(c) RESPONSIBILITIES.—The Center shall have re-
sponsibilities as follows:
‘‘(1) To direct and oversee, based on expert re-
search, the development and implementation of a
long-term, comprehensive plan and strategy for the
Department of Defense for the prevention, diagnosis,
mitigation, treatment, and rehabilitation of trau-
matic brain injury.
‘‘(2) To provide for the development, testing, and
dissemination within the Department of best practices
for the treatment of traumatic brain injury.
‘‘(3) To provide guidance for the mental health
system of the Department in determining the mental
health and neurological health personnel required to
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provide quality mental health care for members of the
armed forces with traumatic brain injury.
‘‘(4) To establish, implement, and oversee a com-
prehensive program to train mental health and neuro-
logical health professionals of the Department in the
treatment of traumatic brain injury.
‘‘(5) To facilitate advancements in the study of
the short-term and long-term psychological effects of
traumatic brain injury.
‘‘(6) To disseminate within the military medical
treatment facilities of the Department best practices
for training mental health professionals, including
neurological health professionals, with respect to trau-
matic brain injury.
‘‘(7) To conduct basic science and translational
research on traumatic brain injury for the purposes
of understanding the etiology of traumatic brain in-
jury and developing preventive interventions and new
treatments.
‘‘(8) To develop outreach strategies and treat-
ments for families of members of the armed forces
with traumatic brain injury in order to mitigate the
negative impacts of traumatic brain injury on such
family members and to support the recovery of such
members from traumatic brain injury.