Policy Corner: May 13, 2022
Categories: Policy Corner Archives
House Judiciary Committee Marks Up TBI/PTSD First Responder Training Bill
This week, the House Judiciary Committee, chaired by Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) held a full committee markup of H.R. 2992, the “TBI and PTSD Law Enforcement Training Act,” sponsored by Congressional Brain Injury Task Force Co-Chairs Reps. Bill Pascrell, Jr. and Don Bacon (R-Neb.) and Reps. John Rutherford (R-Fla.) and Val Demings (D-Fla.). The legislation would implement several measures to better train law enforcement and first responders for interactions with individuals suffering from traumatic brain injury (TBI) or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Bill sponsors anticipate that the bill will be voted on by the full House of Representatives. The Brain Injury Association of America (BIAA) has posted information about the bill on its Legislative Action Center and encourages advocates to use this online tool to urge their representatives to support this important bill.
House Committee to Mark Up Cognitive Research Act
The House Committee on Science has scheduled a hearing next Tuesday to mark up H.R. 7180, the “Brycen Gray and Ben Price COVID-19 Cognitive Research Act,” sponsored by Rep. Anthony Gonzalez (R-Ohio). The bill authorizes the Director of the National Science Foundation to award grants to support research on the disruption of regular cognitive processes associated with COVID-19 infection. Early research suggests that one in three individuals diagnosed with COVID-19 experiences a disruption of regular cognitive processes within six months of such diagnosis. The National Science Foundation has a history of supporting interdisciplinary, basic research that spans the social, behavioral, and fundamental biological sciences. As such, the Director would award grants to eligible entities, including through the RAPID funding mechanism, on a 16 competitive, merit-reviewed basis to support interdisciplinary research on the disruption of regular cognitive processes associated with both short-term and long-term COVID-19 infections, including with respect to children and adolescents.
As reported last week, the Congressional Neuroscience Caucus will hold a virtual briefing, “Long-Haul Neurological and Psychological Impacts from COVI-19” on May 18. The Briefing is scheduled for 2:00 pm ET and is supported by the American Academy of Neurology, American Brain Coalition, American College of Neuropsychopharmacology, and the Society for Neuroscience. The purpose is to examine the long-haul neurological and psychological impacts that society is predicted to see from the COVID-19 pandemic.
House Energy and Commerce Committee Holds Hearing on ARPA-H
The House Energy and Commerce Committee held a hearing on H.R. 5585, the “Advanced Research Project Agency-Health Act or the ARPA-H Act” this week. Sponsored by Rep. Anna Eschoo (D-Calif.) the bill codifies the President’s priority to create this new agency with the U.S. Department to Health and Human Services (HHS). The purpose is to foster the development of new, breakthrough capabilities, technologies, systems, and platforms to accelerate innovations in health and medicine; to revolutionize diagnosis, mitigation, prevention, and treatment of diseases through the development of transformative health technologies and high-need cures; and to promote high-risk, high-reward innovation to develop high-need cures.