Policy Corner: October 1, 2021

Congress Extends Federal Funding to December 3
President Biden signed a continuing resolution to continue federal government yesterday, after both the House of Representatives and the Senate approved a funding bill that keeps federal government open until December 3. The federal government would have shut down today had the lawmakers not acted before the fiscal year 2021 ended Thursday at midnight. Agencies will continue to receive funding at the same level as before. Although the House had passed appropriation measures for fiscal year 2022 funding, the Senate had not yet done so. The House and Senate will need to negotiate and pass spending bills to continue government after December 3.

As the Senate failed to advance legislation to raise or the suspend the debt ceiling needed to pay for past spending, both legislative bodies will need to raise the debt ceiling before October 18, the date that Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said is needed in order to pay bills and avoid default on America’s financial obligations.

Lawmakers Introduce the BRAIN Act to Create a Neuroscience Center at the FDA
Congressional Brain Injury Task Force Co-chairs Rep. Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-N.J.) and Don Bacon (R-Nebr.) joined Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.) in supporting the “Bringing Regulatory Advances Into Neuroscience (BRAIN) Act,” which would establish a Neuroscience Center of Excellence (NCOE) at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and help speed the delivery of safe and effective treatments for brain diseases, disorders, and injuries to individuals who need them. The NCOE will spur innovation and investment in the study, creation, and regulation of brain-focused therapies by creating an environment designed to achieve patient-centered regulatory decision making with the goal of bringing the right treatments and cures to patients.

BIAA Supports Statement Submitted to SDOH Caucus
The Brain Injury Association of America (BIAA) supported a statement submitted by the Disability and Rehabilitation Research Coalition (DRRC) to the congressional Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) Caucus in response to its request for information. The statement explained that “Social determinants of health encompass multiple levels of experience in daily life from social risk factors to structural and environmental factors (such as structural racism and poverty). People with disabilities face substantial challenges relating to each of these elements.” DRRC sent the statement on September 21. Representatives Cheri Bustos (D-Ill.) and Tom Cole (R-Okla.) co-chair the recently convened SDOH Caucus, which will explore opportunities to improve the impact of services delivered to address social determinants of health with the support of federal funding.

BIAA gratefully acknowledges the Centre for Neuro Skills and Avanir Pharmaceuticals for their support for legislative action. Click here to read past issues of Policy Corner.