Policy Corner: April 1, 2022

President Releases FY 2023 Budget Recommendations

On Monday, March 28, President Biden released his recommendations to Congress for funding federal programs for fiscal year 2023, which begins October 1. This is the first step in the appropriations process as both House and Senate Appropriations Committees and Subcommittees will now begin looking at funding for the coming year. The President’s budget recommended $8 million for the Administration for Community Living’s Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) State Partnership Program that awards grants to states to help improve services within their states. This is the same amount that was appropriated for the current fiscal year, which is about $400,000 more than the previous fiscal year 2021. Currently, 28 states were funded five-year grants in 2021. The President’s budget did not propose increasing the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) National Injury Center’s TBI program, which is funded at $6,750,000.

Congressional Brain Injury Task Force (CBITF) Co-chair, Reps. Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-N.J.) and Don Bacon (R-Nebr.) are circulating a “dear colleague” letter to gather support for increased funding for ACL TBI State Partnership Program, CDC’s TBI program to include $5,000,000 for the National Concussion Surveillance System, and to increase the number of TBI Model Systems Centers and research. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) is also circulating a similar letter among his colleagues. Both letters are due April 22, and will be forwarded, then, with the co-signers to the House and Senate Appropriations Committees.

Lawmakers Introduce Bills to Authorize HHS to Collect Data on Brain Injury Resulting from IPV

Yesterday, March 31, Congressional Brain Injury Task Force Representative Co-chairs, Rep. Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-N.J.) and Rep. Don Bacon (R-Nebr.), and Senators Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) and Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) introduced H.R. 7301 and S. 3962 to authorize the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to collect data on prevalence of brain injuries resulting from intimate partner violence (IVP) and sexual assault. The need for data was a recommendation from the U.S. General Accountability Office (GAO) who studied state and national initiatives addressing brain injury due to intimate partner or domestic violence.

Individuals experiencing intimate partner or domestic violence may experience brain injury as the result of blows to the head or strangulation. The GAO noted that there is little federal data on the prevalence of this public health problem, so it’s uncertain whether federal resources are addressing it efficiently. Therefore, the report recommended that HHS improve data collection. The legislation introduced is in response to that recommendation. The bill text has yet to be published. The Brain Injury Association of America (BIAA) supports these bills.

Social Security Administration Releases New Online Tool to Assist Applicants

The Social Security Administration (SSA) has just released a new online tool that applicants and individuals assisting applicants can use to request an appointment to apply for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits. This request creates a protective filing date – which is used to determine when an individual can start receiving SSI benefits – as long as the SSI application is submitted within 60 days. You can access the tool here.

BIAA Launches Legislative Action Center — Take Action!

In an effort to assist advocates in contacting their U.S. Representative and U.S. Senators directly, the Brain Injury Association of America (BIAA) has launched an online Legislative Action Center that facilitates the sending of targeted messages. This new advocacy tool identifies individuals’ representatives and then adapts emails to them based on their existing positions. At this time, the policy being promoted in BIAA’s Legislative Action Center is a request for representatives to join the Congressional Brain Injury Task Force. Take action now!

 

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.