Congress to Vote on Temporary Funding Bill Without Critical TBI Act Reauthorization, Affecting 64 Million People with Brain Injury

Critical lifeline for millions remains at risk without Traumatic Brain Injury Act (TBI Act) reauthorization.

WASHINGTON, D.C. (March 12, 2025)— The Brain Injury Association of America issued an urgent call for Congress to amend the Continuing Resolution to include the Traumatic Brain Injury Act reauthorization, critical legislation that expired on September 30, 2024, putting at risk millions of brain injury survivors without essential federal support.

Despite unanimous House passage and strong bipartisan agreement in 2024, Congress has yet to reauthorize the TBI Act and was again excluded from the latest Continuing Resolution, putting millions of Americans with brain injury at risk of losing critical services.

“We are at a critical moment for millions of Americans—including children, veterans, and first responders—who face losing access to brain injury programs with each passing day without reauthorization,” said Rick Willis, president and CEO of the Brain Injury Association of America. “Brain injury can affect anyone, anywhere, and at any time. Not including the TBI Act in the Continuing Resolution or advancing it as standalone legislation represents another missed opportunity to support millions of Americans with brain injuries. Congress must reauthorize this critical legislation immediately.”

Ignoring a public health crisis

The TBI Act, first passed in 1996 and most recently reauthorized in 2018, stands as the only federal legislation supporting civilian brain injury programs and providing authorized funding for state services. Its expiration has created a dangerous gap in the safety net for brain injury survivors:

• At least 64 million American adults report having experienced one or more TBIs in their lifetime.
• There are nearly 3 million TBI-related emergency department visits each year.
• More than 11 million Americans over age 40 with a history of TBI live with a disability.
• Only 31 states currently receive TBI State grants, leaving 19 states without any federal support.
• Five years after surviving a moderate to severe TBI, more than half of adults who were employed at the time of their injury no longer have a job.

“Congress has allocated just $3.03 per person affected by TBI for research in 2024. Now they’ve allowed the only federal law supporting brain injury services to expire and are poised to pass yet another funding measure without addressing this issue,” added Dr. Owen Perlman, BIAA board member and advocacy committee chair. “The message this sends to millions of survivors and their families is devastating.”

The TBI Reauthorization Act had secured bipartisan support and unanimous House passage before being abruptly removed from the previous Continuing Resolution. Without reauthorization, many critical programs will be left in limbo, including:

• the TBI State Partnership Grant Program, which research shows leads to better long-term outcomes for survivors,
• protection and advocacy services that ensure brain injury survivors can access their legal rights,
• CDC brain injury programs that provide essential data collection and prevention education,
• and critical recognition that brain injuries can result from hypoxia and other acquired causes beyond trauma.

“While Congress prepares to vote without including TBI Act reauthorization, Americans with brain injuries face real consequences—reduced services and discontinued support programs, which can contribute to a diminished quality of life,” said Dr. Perlman.

The call to action

The Brain Injury Association of America calls on Congress to:

1. Amend the Continuing Resolution to include the TBI Act reauthorization before the final vote
2. If not possible, immediately advance the TBI Act through standalone legislation