Pascrell Honoring Traumatic Brain Injury Bill Moves Forward

WASHINGTON, DC – Congresswoman Nellie Pou (D-NJ-09) praised the advancement of legislation reauthorizing federal traumatic brain injury (TBI) programs long championed by the late Congressman Bill Pascrell, Jr. The measure cleared the Committee on Energy and Commerce and now moves to the House floor.

“Congressman Bill Pascrell spent decades fighting for Americans living with traumatic brain injuries and pushing our country to take this epidemic seriously,” said Congresswoman Pou. “I am grateful to Congressman Frank Pallone for advancing legislation that honors Bill’s legacy while continuing this critical work to support survivors, expand research, and improve care for families across our country. I will work with my colleagues to see that it is passed by the full House.”

The bipartisan bill would rename the federal national traumatic brain injury surveillance and registry initiative in honor of Congressman Pascrell, cementing his long record as a leading advocate for Americans living with brain injuries.

The measure would extend federal traumatic brain injury programs through Fiscal Year 2029, continuing support for research, rehabilitation, treatment programs, and nationwide data collection efforts overseen by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Administration for Community Living.

Federal health officials report that traumatic brain injuries were linked to roughly 69,000 deaths nationwide in 2023. Millions of additional Americans continue to face lasting cognitive, physical, and emotional challenges caused by brain injuries stemming from falls, vehicle crashes, military service, domestic violence, and sports-related incidents.

Beyond renewing these programs, the legislation would require the Department of Health and Human Services to examine whether traumatic brain injury should be classified as a chronic condition, a move that could strengthen long-term care and expand federal support for survivors. The bill would also mandate updated federal analysis on communities disproportionately impacted by TBI, gaps in current research, and the lasting effects associated with brain injuries.

Congressman Pascrell launched the Congressional Brain Injury Task Force in 2001 and spent more than twenty years urging Congress and federal agencies to confront what he frequently described as America’s “silent epidemic.”

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