Your Help Needed In Support Of Traumatic Brain Injury Act
Posted by
Bob CarrollJune 02, 2006 6:05 AMIt's a long letter but an important request for help so here it is in its entirety.
The Brain Injury Association of America needs your help to reauthorize and fully fund the Traumatic Brain Injury Act. Please act on both items before June 7, 2006.
Support the TBI Act of 2006 Congressional Brain Injury Task Force Chairmen, Rep. Bill Pascrell (D-NJ) and Rep. Todd Platts (R-PA) plan to introduce the TBI Act of 2006 in the House of Representatives during the week of June 5. The legislation will reauthorize the TBI Act programs for five more years and will make some important improvements to address emerging issues in brain injury. Your help is needed in recruiting original co-sponsors for the TBI Act in the U.S. House of Representatives. (An original co-sponsor is a Member of Congress who adds his or her name to support
a piece of legislation before it is introduced.)
What to do: Identify your Representative by using the Association's Legislative Action Center.
Contact your Representative and ask that he or she agree to become an original co-sponsor of the TBI Act. If willing, your Representative (or his/her staff member) may contact Charla Penn McManus in Rep. Pascrell's office at (202) 225-5715 or Becky Braunstein in Rep. Platts office at (202) 225-5836.
Your Representative should have already received a copy of the co-sponsor invitation from Congressmen Pascrell and Platts as well as a copy of the proposed legislation. If they haven't received these materials, please offer to forward the information to them. (The documents are available in pdf form from the Brain Injury Association of America's website.
Fully Fund the TBI Act for 2007
On June 7, 2006, the U.S. House of Representative Labor, Health & Human Services, Education and Related Agencies (LHHS) Appropriations Subcommittee will begin work on its appropriations bill. Introduction of the TBI Act of 2006 has been schedule to coincide with the appropriations work.
What to do: Between now and June 7, please contact as many members of the House LHHS Appropriations Subcommittee as possible and request that they support the recommendations of the Congressional Brain Injury Task Force by funding the TBI Act at the following levels:
CDC National Center for Injury Prevention and Control Request - $9 million
HRSA State Grant Program Request - $15 million
HRSA Protection & Advocacy Grant Program Request - $6 million
You can find the Members of the House LHHS Appropriations Subcommittee by going to the this link.
If the Appropriations Subcommittee Members have not seen the Congressional Brain Injury Task Force Appropriations letter, please offer to send them this letter. You can download a copy of the letter from Brain Injury Association of America's web site.
As many of you know, again this year, President Bush recommended elimination of the funding for the TBI State Grant and P&A Grant Programs. It is imperative that Congress hear from the people who are most impacted by these important programs. Please let your voice be heard. Do it today!
On behalf of the Brain Injury Association of America and its nationwide network of state affiliates and the millions of individuals, families and professionals we serve, I thank you for your important work in creating a better future.
