†
878
HR 1585 PP
(1) The designation by the Secretary of Defense
of a lead agent or executive agent for the Department
to coordinate development and implementation of the
plan.
(2) The improvement of personnel protective
equipment for members of the Armed Forces in order
to prevent traumatic brain injury.
(3) The improvement of methods and mecha-
nisms for the detection and treatment of traumatic
brain injury and post-traumatic stress disorder in
members of the Armed Forces in the field.
(4) The requirements for research on traumatic
brain injury and post-traumatic stress disorder, in-
cluding (in particular) research on pharmacological
approaches to treatment for traumatic brain injury
or post-traumatic stress disorder, as applicable, and
the allocation of priorities among such research.
(5) The development, adoption, and deployment
of diagnostic criteria for the detection and evaluation
of the range of traumatic brain injury and post-trau-
matic stress disorder in members of the Armed Forces,
which criteria shall be employed uniformly across the
military departments in all applicable circumstances,
including provision of clinical care and assessment of
future deployability of members of the Armed Forces.
†
879
HR 1585 PP
(6) The development and deployment of effective
means of assessing traumatic brain injury and post-
traumatic stress disorder in members of the Armed
Forces, including a system of pre-deployment and
post-deployment screenings of cognitive ability in
members for the detection of cognitive impairment, as
required by the amendments made by section 222.
(7) The development and deployment of effective
means of managing and monitoring members of the
Armed Forces with traumatic brain injury or post-
traumatic stress disorder in the receipt of care for
traumatic brain injury or post-traumatic stress dis-
order, as applicable, including the monitoring and as-
sessment of treatment and outcomes.
(8) The development and deployment of an edu-
cation and awareness training initiative designed to
reduce the negative stigma associated with traumatic
brain injury, post-traumatic stress disorder, and
mental health treatment.
(9) The provision of education and outreach to
families of members of the Armed Forces with trau-
matic brain injury or post-traumatic stress disorder
on a range of matters relating to traumatic brain in-
jury or post-traumatic stress disorder, as applicable,
including detection, mitigation, and treatment.
†
880
HR 1585 PP
(10) The assessment of the current capabilities of
the Department for the prevention, diagnosis, mitiga-
tion, treatment, and rehabilitation of traumatic brain
injury and post-traumatic stress disorder in members
of the Armed Forces.
(11) The identification of gaps in current capa-
bilities of the Department for the prevention, diag-
nosis, mitigation, treatment, and rehabilitation of
traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress dis-
order in members of the Armed Forces.
(12) The identification of the resources required
for the Department in fiscal years 2009 thru 2013 to
address the gaps in capabilities identified under
paragraph (11).
(13) The development of joint planning among
the Department of Defense, the military departments,
and the Department of Veterans Affairs for the pre-
vention, diagnosis, mitigation, treatment, and reha-
bilitation of traumatic brain injury and post-trau-
matic stress disorder in members of the Armed Forces,
including planning for the seamless transition of such
members from care through the Department of Defense
care through the Department of Veterans Affairs.
†
881
HR 1585 PP
(14) A requirement that exposure to a blast or
blasts be recorded in the records of members of the
Armed Forces.
(15) The development of clinical practice guide-
lines for the diagnosis and treatment of blast injuries
in members of the Armed Forces, including, but not
limited to, traumatic brain injury.
(16) A program under which each member of the
Armed Forces who incurs a traumatic brain injury
or post-traumatic stress disorder during service in the
Armed Forces—
(A) is enrolled in the program; and
(B) receives, under the program, treatment
and rehabilitation meeting a standard of care
such that each individual who is a member of the
Armed Forces who qualifies for care under the
program shall—
(i) be provided the highest quality of
care possible based on the medical judgment
of qualified medical professionals in facili-
ties that most appropriately meet the spe-
cific needs of the individual; and
(ii) be rehabilitated to the fullest extent
possible using the most up-to-date medical
†
882
HR 1585 PP
technology, medical rehabilitation practices,
and medical expertise available.
(17) A requirement that if a member of the
Armed Forces participating in a program established
in accordance with paragraph (16) believes that care
provided to such participant does not meet the stand-
ard of care specified in subparagraph (B) of such
paragraph, the Secretary of Defense shall, upon re-
quest of the participant, provide to such participant
a referral to another Department of Defense or De-
partment of Veterans Affairs provider of medical or
rehabilitative care for a second opinion regarding the
care that would meet the standard of care specified in
such subparagraph.
(18) The provision of information by the Sec-
retary of Defense to members of the Armed Forces
with traumatic brain injury or post-traumatic stress
disorder and their families about their rights with re-
spect to the following:
(A) The receipt of medical and mental
health care from the Department of Defense and
the Department of Veterans Affairs.
(B) The options available to such members
for treatment of traumatic brain injury and
post-traumatic stress disorder.
†
883
HR 1585 PP
(C) The options available to such members
for rehabilitation.
(D) The options available to such members
for a referral to a public or private provider of
medical or rehabilitative care.
(E) The right to administrative review of
any decision with respect to the provision of care
by the Department of Defense for such members.
(c) COORDINATION
IN DEVELOPMENT.—Each plan
submitted under subsection (a) shall be developed in coordi-
nation with the Secretary of the Army (who was designated
by the Secretary of Defense as executive agent for the pre-
vention, mitigation, and treatment of blast injuries under
section 256 of the National Defense Authorization Act for
Fiscal Year 2006 (Public Law 109–163; 119 Stat. 3181;
10 U.S.C. 1071 note)).
(d) ADDITIONAL ACTIVITIES.—In carrying out pro-
grams and activities for the prevention, diagnosis, mitiga-
tion, and treatment of traumatic brain injury and post-
traumatic stress disorder in members of the Armed Forces,
the Secretary of Defense shall—
(1) examine the results of the recently completed
Phase 2 study, funded by the National Institutes of
Health, on the use of progesterone for acute traumatic
brain injury;