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BIANC Resource Book
Recent Issues and Pending Legislation
The Brain Injury Association of North Carolina (BIANC) wants to thank you for your help and let you know where we need to go from here.
Latest Policy Corner News - Feb. 3, 2012
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Health Care Reform Update
This week, BIAA submitted comments to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) on the essential health benefits bulletin.
BIAA also submitted comments on the report Multidisciplinary Postacute Rehabilitation for Moderate to Severe Traumatic Brain Injury prepared for the Agency on Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ).
A copy of BIAA’s comments on both documents can be located on the BIAA website under the Government Affairs section. Click on Legislative Priorities and the comments are listed under Health Care Reform.
Brain Injury Awareness Day 2012 in Washington DC by BIAA
This year, brain injury awareness day on Capitol Hill will be held on Wednesday, March 21, 2012. As in years past, there will be an awareness fair, briefing and reception. The full schedule for the day is as follows:
10:00 AM – 1:00 PM - Brain Injury Awareness Fair, First Floor Foyer of the Rayburn House Office Building
2:30 PM – 4:00 PM – Congressional Briefing, Location to Be Announced
5:30 PM – 7:30 PM - Reception Celebrating Brain Injury Awareness Month, Location to Be Announced
BIAA is committed to helping the Congressional Brain Injury Task Force plan a successful event. Stay tuned for more details including a list of speakers for the briefing.
TBI Act Reauthorization 2012
BIAA’s director of government affairs along with NASHIA’s lobbyist and staff representing the National Disability Rights Network had a successful meeting with Reps. Pascrell and Platts staff regarding the reauthorization of the TBI Act. The TBI Act will likely be introduced in the House of Representatives in March. BIAA will continue to work closely with other stakeholders as the reauthorization of the TBI Act moves forward.
2011 NC Legislative Accomplishments:
Two significant brain injury bills were passed in the 2011 Legislative Session. Below is Governor Perdue signing the Gfeller-Waller Concussion Awareness Act (HB 792) on June 16, 2011.
The Gfeller-Waller Concussion Awareness Act web site has been officially deployed. Visitors can access the web site by visiting http://tbicenter.unc.edu. There is a link to the Gfeller-Waller Law in red so it stands out and will be obvious to the end user.
The Gfeller-Waller Concussion Awareness Act was signed into law on June 16, 2011 by Governor Beverly Perdue. The new law (which is similar to laws that have been passed in other states, such as a the Zackary Lysted law in Washington) mandates that an athletic concussion safety training program will be developed for the use of coaches, school nurses, school athletic directors, volunteers, students who participate in interscholastic athletic activities in the public schools, and the parents of the students.
The program shall include; but not be limited to, the following:
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Written information detailing the recognition of the signs and symptoms of concussions and other head injuries.
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A description of the physiology and the potential short-term and long-term effects of concussions and other head injuries
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The medical return-to-play protocol for post concussion participation in interscholastic athletic activities.
The Brain Injury Association of NC will be involved in the development and implementation of the concussion management training protocol which will help prevent and appropriately manage sport related brain injuries in student athletic events. This is just the first step. We have more work to do; that includes working with all of the groups named in the bill to get this implemented. Our great appreciation goes out to the Gfeller and Waller families.
Behavioral Health Services for Military
The Behavioral Health Services for Military law is an act to ensure that the behavioral health needs of members of the military veterans, and their families are met in NC. The law addresses all behavioral health needs for military service members including a mandate that the Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities, and Substance Abuse Services of the Department of Health and Human Services shall collaborate with military agencies and other appropriate organizations to determine gaps in the care of current and former members of the reserve or active components of the Armed Forces of the United States with traumatic brain injury, shall develop recommendations for an accessible community-based neurobehavioral system to care for those service members. The recommendations shall be tailored so that, if implemented, services would be available to service members, veterans, and their families and would consist of neurobehavioral programs, residential programs, comprehensive day program and home-based programs.
http://www.ncleg.net/ Click here to go directly to the Legislative website where you can follow any bill as it goes though the Judicial process.
The ARC of NC maintains a website where you can follow legislative concerns:
The Brain Injury Association of NC is a member of the Developmental DisabilitiesConsortium, which is an organization representing over forty advocacy groups forpeople with disabilities in NC. People with brain injuries have been designated to receive state and federally funded services under the Developmental Disabilities (DD) guidelines and it is important that our consumers are represented in discussions about DD serviceimplementation. The ARC (Association of Retarded Citizens) maintains regular legislative updates on their website for people who are interested in specific disability issues.
