I
104TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION H. R. 248
To amend the Public Health Service Act to provide for the conduct of
expanded studies and the establishment of innovative programs with
respect to traumatic brain injury, and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
JANUARY 4, 1995
Mr. GREENWOOD (for himself and Mr. PALLONE) introduced the following bill;
which was referred to the Committee on Commerce
A BILL
To amend the Public Health Service Act to provide for
the conduct of expanded studies and the establishment
of innovative programs with respect to traumatic brain
injury, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. PROGRAMS OF CENTERS FOR DISEASE CON-
TROL AND PREVENTION.
Part B of title III of the Public Health Service Act
(42 U.S.C. 241 et seq.), as amended by section 703 of
Public Law 103–183 (107 Stat. 2240), is amended by in-
serting after section 317F the following section:
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‘‘PREVENTION OF TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY
‘‘SEC. 317G. The Secretary, acting through the Di-
rector of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,
may carry out projects to reduce the incidence of trau-
matic brain injury. Such projects may be carried out by
the Secretary directly or through awards of grants or con-
tracts to public or nonprofit private entities. The Sec-
retary may directly or through such awards provide tech-
nical assistance with respect to the planning, development,
and operation of such projects.
‘‘(b) CERTAIN ACTIVITIES.—Activities under sub-
section (a) may include—
‘‘(1) the conduct of research into identifying ef-
fective strategies for the prevention of traumatic
brain injury; and
‘‘(2) the implementation of public information
and education programs for the prevention of such
injury and for broadening the awareness of the pub-
lic concerning the public health consequences of such
injury.
‘‘(c) COORDINATION OF ACTIVITIES.—The Secretary
shall ensure that activities under this section are coordi-
nated as appropriate with other agencies of the Public
Health Service that carry out activities regarding trau-
matic brain injury.
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‘‘(d) DEFINITION.—For purposes of this section, the
term ‘traumatic brain injury’ means an acquired injury
to the brain. Such term does not include brain dysfunction
caused by congenital or degenerative disorders, nor birth
trauma, but may include brain injuries caused by anoxia
due to near drowning. The Secretary may revise the defi-
nition of such term as the Secretary determines
necessary.’’.
SEC. 2. PROGRAMS OF NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH.
Section 1261 of the Public Health Service Act (42
U.S.C. 300d–61) is amended—
(1) in subsection (d)—
(A) in paragraph (2), by striking ‘‘and’’
after the semicolon at the end;
(B) in paragraph (3), by striking the pe-
riod and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and
(C) by adding at the end the following
paragraph:
‘‘(4) the authority to make awards of grants or
contracts to public or nonprofit private entities for
the conduct of basic and applied research regarding
traumatic brain injury, which research may in-
clude—
‘‘(A) the development of new methods and
modalities for the more effective diagnosis,
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measurement of degree of injury, post-injury
monitoring and prognostic assessment of head
injury for acute, subacute and later phases of
care;
‘‘(B) the development, modification and
evaluation of therapies that retard, prevent or
reverse brain damage after acute head injury,
that arrest further deterioration following in-
jury and that provide the restitution of function
for individuals with long-term injuries;
‘‘(C) the development of research on a con-
tinuum of care from acute care through reha-
bilitation, designed, to the extent practicable, to
integrate rehabilitation and long-term outcome
evaluation with acute care research; and
‘‘(D) the development of programs that in-
crease the participation of academic centers of
excellence in head injury treatment and reha-
bilitation research and training.’’; and
(2) in subsection (h), by adding at the end the
following paragraph:
‘‘(4) The term ‘traumatic brain injury’ means
an acquired injury to the brain. Such term does not
include brain dysfunction caused by congenital or
degenerative disorders, nor birth trauma, but may