A bill currently in committee would update provisions for those suffering from traumatic brain injuries (TBIs). The bill is currently under review in the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.

Rep. William Pascrell, Jr. (D-NJ) and Rep. Todd Russell Platts (R-PA) introduced H.R. 4238, a.k.a The TBI Act of 2012, during Brain Injury Awareness Month, which was this past March.

“The TBI Act of 2012 will sustain successful programs, provide better coordination of TBI research and create a funding formula that will allow all 50 states to access state grants for TBI programs,” Pascrell said in a statement.

He indicated that TBIs affect many Americans, particularly soldiers serving overseas. He proposed that army personnel like Army Staff Sgt. Robert Bales, charged with 17 counts of murder and six counts of attempted murder for a shooting rampage in Afghanistan, should have received more care following a TBI.

The bill extends and broadens many amenities and deadlines set forth in the TBI Act of 2008. It also ties a state’s population into how much grant money they would receive for TBI-related funds, calling for an equation that would allocate more funds to more populous states.

Rep. Russ Carnahan (D-MO) is listed as the bill’s only co-sponsor.

The Brain Injury Association of America (BIAA) supports the bill, urging everyone to contact their representatives and suggest they sign on as co-sponsors. Overall, this sounds like worthwhile bill. It assures TBI patients that they will continue to receive the care and attention that they require.

The Metier Law Firm, LLC – Denver injury lawyers