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This section captures a floor statement or debate entry. It mentions legislation such as To reauthorize and make improvements to Federal programs relating to the prevention, detection, and treatment of traumatic brain injuries, and for other purposes., committees such as Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, members such as Brett Guthrie.
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July 20, 2026
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Download official House Record PDFReturn to issue contextMr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1493) to reauthorize and make improvements to Federal programs relating to the prevention, detection, and treatment of traumatic brain injuries, and for other purposes, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 1493
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. PROGRAMS TO PREVENT, DETECT, AND TREAT TRAUMATIC
BRAIN INJURIES.
(a) The Bill Pascrell, Jr., National Program for Traumatic
Brain Injury Surveillance and Registries.—
(1) Prevention of traumatic brain injury.—Section 393B of
the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 280b-1c) is
amended—
(A) in subsection (a), by inserting “and prevalence”
after “incidence”;
(B) in subsection (b)—
(i) in paragraph (1), by inserting “and reduction of
associated injuries and fatalities” before the semicolon;
(ii) in paragraph (2), by inserting “and related risk
factors” before the semicolon; and
(iii) in paragraph (3)—
(I) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by striking
“2020” each place it appears and inserting “2030”; and
(II) in subparagraph (A)—
(aa) in clause (i), by striking “; and” and inserting
“of traumatic brain injury;”;
(bb) by redesignating clause (ii) as clause (iv);
(cc) by inserting after clause (i) the following:
“(ii) populations at higher risk of traumatic brain
injury, including populations whose increased risk is due to
occupational or circumstantial factors;
“(iii) causes of, and risk factors for, traumatic brain
injury; and”; and
(dd) in clause (iv), as so redesignated, by striking
“arising from traumatic brain injury” and inserting “,
which may include related mental health and other conditions,
arising from traumatic brain injury, including”; and
(C) in subsection (c), by inserting “, and other relevant
Federal departments and agencies” before the period at the
end.
(2) National program for traumatic brain injury
surveillance and registries.—Section 393C of the Public
Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 280b-1d) is amended—
(A) by amending the section heading to read as follows:
“the bill pascrell, jr., national program for traumatic
brain injury surveillance and registries”;
(B) in subsection (a)—
(i) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by inserting
“to identify populations that may be at higher risk for
traumatic brain injuries, to collect data on the causes of,
and risk factors for, traumatic brain injuries,” after
“related disability,”;
(ii) in paragraph (1), by inserting “, including the
occupation of the individual, when relevant to the
circumstances surrounding the injury” before the semicolon;
and
(iii) in paragraph (4), by inserting “short- and long-
term” before “outcomes”;
(C) by striking subsection (b);
(D) by redesignating subsection (c) as subsection (b);
(E) in subsection (b), as so redesignated, by inserting
“and evidence-based practices to identify and address
concussion” before the period at the end; and
(F) by adding at the end the following:
“(c) Availability of Information.—The Secretary, acting
through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, shall make publicly available aggregated
information on traumatic brain injury and concussion
described in this section, including on the website of the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Such website, to
the extent feasible, shall include aggregated information on
populations that may be at higher risk for traumatic brain
injuries and strategies for preventing or reducing risk of
traumatic brain injury that are tailored to such
populations.”.
(3) Authorization of appropriations.—Section 394A of the
Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 280b-3) is amended—
(A) in subsection (a), by striking “1994, and” and
inserting “1994,”; and
(B) in subsection (b), by striking “appropriated” and all
that follows through “2024” and inserting “appropriated
$9,250,000 for each of fiscal years 2026 through 2030”.
(b) State Grant Programs.—
(1) State grants for projects regarding traumatic brain
injury.—Section 1252 of the Public Health Service Act (42
U.S.C. 300d-52) is amended—
(A) in subsection (b)(2)—
(i) by inserting “, taking into consideration populations
that may be at higher risk for traumatic brain injuries”
after “outreach programs”; and
(ii) by inserting “Tribal,” after “State,”;
(B) in subsection (c), by adding at the end the following:
“(3) Maintenance of effort.—With respect to activities
for which a grant awarded under subsection (a) is to be
expended, a State or American Indian consortium shall agree
to maintain expenditures of non-Federal amounts for such
activities at a level that is not less than the level of such
expenditures maintained by the State or American Indian
consortium for the fiscal year preceding the fiscal year for
which the State or American Indian consortium receives such a
grant.
“(4) Waiver.—The Secretary may, upon the request of a
State or American Indian consortium, waive not more than 50
percent of the matching fund amount under paragraph (1), if
the Secretary determines that such matching fund amount would
result in an inability of the State or American Indian
consortium to carry out the purposes under subsection (a). A
waiver provided by the Secretary under this paragraph shall
apply only to the fiscal year involved.”;
(C) in subsection (e)(3)(B)—
(i) by striking “(such as third party payers, State
agencies, community-based providers, schools, and
educators)”; and
(ii) by inserting “(such as third party payers, State
agencies, community-based providers, schools, and
educators)” after “professionals”;
(D) in subsection (h), by striking paragraphs (1) and (2)
and inserting the following:
“(1) American indian consortium; state.—The terms
`American Indian consortium' and `State' have the meanings
given such terms in section 1253.
“(2) Traumatic brain injury.—
“(A) In general.—Subject to subparagraph (B), the term
`traumatic brain injury'—
“(i) means an acquired injury to the brain;
“(ii) may include—
“(I) brain injuries caused by anoxia due to trauma; and
“(II) damage to the brain from an internal or external
source that results in infection, toxicity, surgery, or
vascular disorders not associated with aging; and
“(iii) does not include brain dysfunction caused by
congenital or degenerative disorders, or birth trauma.
“(B) Revisions to definition.—The Secretary may revise
the definition of the term `traumatic brain injury' under
this paragraph, as the Secretary determines necessary, after
consultation with States and other appropriate public or
nonprofit private entities.”; and
(E) by striking subsection (i).
(2) State grants for protection and advocacy services.—
Section 1253 of the Public
Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 300d-53) is amended by striking
subsection (l).
(3) Authorization of appropriations.—Part E of title XII
of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 300d-51 et seq.)
is amended by inserting after section 1253 (42 U.S.C. 300d-
53) the following:
“SEC. 1253A. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS FOR STATE
PROGRAMS RELATING TO TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY.
“There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out
sections 1252 and 1253 $13,118,000 for each of fiscal years
2026 through 2030.”.
(c) Report to Congress.—Not later than 2 years after the
date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Health and
Human Services (referred to in this Act as the “Secretary”)
shall submit to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor,
and Pensions of the Senate and the Committee on Energy and
Commerce of the House of Representatives a report that
contains—
(1) an overview of populations who may be at higher risk
for traumatic brain injury, such as individuals affected by
domestic violence or sexual assault and public safety
officers as defined in section 1204 of the Omnibus Crime
Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (34 U.S.C. 10284);
(2) an outline of existing surveys and activities of the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on traumatic brain
injuries and any steps the agency has taken to address gaps
in data collection related to such higher risk populations,
which may include leveraging surveys such as the National
Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey to collect data
on traumatic brain injuries;
(3) an overview of any outreach or education efforts to
reach such higher risk populations; and
(4) any challenges associated with reaching such higher
risk populations.
(d) Study on Long-Term Symptoms or Conditions Related to
Traumatic Brain Injury.—
(1) In general.—The Secretary, in consultation with
stakeholders and the heads of other relevant Federal
departments and agencies, as appropriate, shall conduct,
either directly or through a contract with a nonprofit
private entity, a study to—
(A) examine the incidence and prevalence of long-term or
chronic symptoms or conditions in individuals who have
experienced a traumatic brain injury;
(B) examine the evidence base of research related to the
chronic effects of traumatic brain injury across the
lifespan;
(C) examine any correlations between traumatic brain injury
and increased risk of other conditions, such as dementia and
mental health conditions;
(D) assess existing services available for individuals with
such long-term or chronic symptoms or conditions; and
(E) identify any gaps in research related to such long-term
or chronic symptoms or conditions of individuals who have
experienced a traumatic brain injury.
(2) Public report.—Not later than 2 years after the date
of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall—
(A) submit to the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the
House of Representatives and the Committee on Health,
Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate a report
detailing the findings, conclusions, and recommendations of
the study described in paragraph (1); and
(B) in the case that such study is conducted directly by
the Secretary, make the report described in subparagraph (A)
publicly available on the website of the Department of Health
and Human Services.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Guthrie) and the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pallone) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Kentucky.
General Leave
Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks on the legislation and to include extraneous material on H.R. 1493.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from Kentucky?
There was no objection.
{time} 1540
Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 1493, led by my colleagues Representatives Pallone and Bacon, which would reauthorize HHS programs that allocate resources for traumatic brain injury prevention, improving access to TBI rehabilitation and TBI patient advocacy systems.
and disability. In 2021 alone, there were over 69,000 TBI-related deaths. Though we may make every effort to prevent TBI from occurring in the first place, it is critical that when a TBI occurs, we are prepared and ready to employ resources that support patients in their recovery and rehabilitation.
Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1493, my bill to reauthorize the Traumatic Brain Injury Act of 1996.
critical Federal programs dedicated to the prevention, detection, treatment, and surveillance of traumatic brain injuries. It also renames the national TBI surveillance program to honor the legacy of my dear friend, the late Representative Bill Pascrell, Jr., of New Jersey, who founded and led the Congressional Brain Injury Task Force for more than two decades after meeting his constituent Dennis Benigno of Clifton, New Jersey, whose son suffered a life-changing traumatic brain injury in a car crash.
The Traumatic Brain Injury Act was signed into law in 1996. At that time, our understanding of these injuries was so limited that public health experts called TBI the silent epidemic, and we did not know how many Americans were affected each year, who was most at risk, or how many people were left with a permanent, life-altering disability.
TBI research and conduct surveillance, both directly and through grants to public and nonprofit organizations.
Mr. Speaker, this initial Federal investment has transformed what we know now and identified what we still need to do. Because Congress chose to invest, we now know that traumatic brain injury sends more than 214,000 Americans to the hospital in a single year and that it takes roughly 69,000 lives annually, nearly 190 deaths every single day.
We know that more than 5.3 million Americans are living today with a lifelong disability caused by a brain injury, and we know who is most at risk: older adults who fall, servicemembers and veterans, athletes on playing fields across the country, victims of domestic violence, and far, far too many children. There is also the economic toll of treating, rehabilitating, and caring for these individuals throughout their lives.
Mr. Speaker, Congress' investment gave us the tools to act on what the data revealed, from concussion guidelines to protect young athletes to targeted prevention for the older Americans who are most likely to be hospitalized. None of that existed before the Federal partnership and Representative Pascrell's leadership. All of that is at risk if we continue to allow this work to lapse.
act on a bipartisan basis time and again. However, despite bipartisan efforts by our committee to continue reauthorizing these programs, the Federal authorization lapsed in 2024. Without reauthorization, research slows, surveillance weakens, and the support services that patients and families depend on are put in jeopardy. We cannot afford to lose momentum on an issue that touches veterans, athletes, survivors of violence, older adults, and countless other Americans in every one of our districts.
Mr. Speaker, H.R. 1493 renews three proven programs. First, it reauthorizes the CDC's TBI program, which drives our national research, surveillance, and prevention efforts. Second, it reauthorizes the Administration for Community Living's State partnership grant programs, which helps States, Tribal organizations, and their partners connect survivors to rehabilitation and community-based services. Third, it reauthorizes the State Protection and Advocacy program, which safeguards the rights of Americans living with brain injury.
This is a modest Federal investment with an extraordinary reach. Since 1997, 48 States, 2 territories, and the District of Columbia have used these partnership grants to build the very systems that their residents now rely on.
This bill does not simply extend those programs but strengthens them. It requires the Department of Health and Human Services to conduct a study and report to Congress on traumatic brain injury, and it directs the CDC to publish information on the populations at highest risk and on the strategies to protect them so that Congress and our
Mr. Speaker, this is a commonsense, bipartisan bill that benefits all Americans. It advanced out of committee without a single dissenting vote. This bill supports research. It strengthens care, and it helps ensure that Americans living with traumatic brain injuries are not left behind.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote “yes,” and I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I am prepared to close, and I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to support this bill on a bipartisan basis, in part because of how important it is but in part also because it honors my friend Congressman Bill Pascrell.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, in closing, I encourage a “yes” vote on this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Guthrie) that the House suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 1493, as amended.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.