Policy Corner: December 7, 2018

President Signs Short-Term Spending Bill

The House of Representatives and the Senate delayed work this week due to the death of former President George H.W. Bush. Congress did pass a short term continuing resolution in order to fund nine Cabinet departments and dozens of smaller agencies through Dec. 21, avoiding the Dec. 7 deadline when the previous continuing resolution was set to expire. The legislation also extended a number of expiring authorizations including the Violence Against Women Act programs, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and the National Flood Insurance Program for the same time frame. The President signed the measure today.

Lawmakers Issue Press Release Regarding TBI Legislation

At the end of November, Reps. Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-N.J.) and Tom Rooney (R-Fla.) and Sens. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) and Bob Casey (D-Pa.) released a joint press release after introducing the Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Reauthorization Act of 2018 in the House of Representatives and Senate (H.R.6615/S. 3657). The legislation extends the federal TBI program through fiscal year 2024. It also authorizes appropriations for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Injury Center’s National Concussion Surveillance System to provide a better estimate of the prevalence of TBI. The Senate Committee Health, Education, Labor and Pensions approved the senate version last week.

“I am proud to introduce this critical bipartisan, bicameral reauthorization of the Traumatic Brain Injury Act,” said Rep. Pascrell, co-founder and co-chair of the Congressional Brain Injury Task Force. I look forward to working with my fellow Co-Chair of the TBI Task Force Congressman Tom Rooney, as well as Sens. Casey and Hatch to ensure this legislation passes Congress and heads quickly to the President’s desk.” “I am pleased to work with a bipartisan group of my colleagues on this reauthorization of the TBI Act,” said Sen. Casey. “This important legislation provides much-needed support for individuals and families living with TBI, and also builds on the CDC’s work to more accurately determine the prevalence of concussion and TBI so that we can improve our prevention and treatment efforts.” Said Sen. Hatch, “We know TBI is a serious problem, but we fail to grasp its severity and scope. Our bill will change that. By reauthorizing the TBI program, our legislation will extend important research, education, and advocacy efforts to help us better understand the nature of brain trauma and reduce the prevalence of these injuries going forward.”

The press release noted that the Traumatic Brain Injury Program Reauthorization of 2018 is supported by the Brain Injury Association of America (BIAA) and the National Association of State Head Injury Administrators (NASHIA). Reps. Pascrell and Rooney also champion funding for programs at the Department of Defense that go towards TBI research and treatment, such as the Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury Research Program, the Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center, and the National Intrepid Center of Excellence.

Senators Introduce Guardianship Accountability Act

In keeping with the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging’s recent report, “Ensuring Trust: Strengthening State Efforts to Overhaul the Guardianship Process and Protect Older Americans,” Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Bob Casey (D-Pa.) have introduced S. 3669, the Guardianship Accountability Act, to:

• Establish a National Online Resource Center on Guardianship that would issue training materials for guardians, information on model legislation, and other useful resources for guardians, individuals under guardianship, courts, community organizations, and state and local officials;
• Create a database on state guardianship laws and the use of less restrictive alternatives; and
• Authorize federal demonstration grants within the Elder Justice Act that could be used to promote guardian background checks, train court visitors, and develop state guardianship databases.

Lawmakers Introduce Keeping All Students Safe Act

In November, Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.) and Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) introduced the Keeping All Students Safe Act (H.R.7124/S. 3626) to prohibit and prevent seclusion and to prevent and reduce the use of physical restraint in schools, and for other purposes. The legislation would:

• Make it illegal for any school receiving taxpayer dollars to seclude children;
• Limit the use of physical restraint to instances when it is necessary for the safety of students and teachers;
• Establish minimum safety standards in schools;
• Require states to monitor the law’s implementation; and
• Increase transparency and oversight to prevent future abuse of students.

Nation Celebrates the Life of Former President George H.W. Bush

This week, the nation set aside business for purposes of celebrating the life of and to mourn the death of the 41st President, George H.W. Bush. Among his achievements, President Bush signed the Americans with Disabilities Act into law in July 1990. Both the House of Representatives and the Senate delayed business while President Bush was lying in state in the Capitol rotunda for the public to pay their respects.

BIAA gratefully acknowledges the Centre for Neuro Skills and Avanir Pharmaceuticals for their support for legislative action.