HCR 14: Proclaiming March 2020 as Brain Injury Awareness Month.
00 HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 14 01 Proclaiming March 2020 as Brain Injury Awareness Month. 02 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 03 WHEREAS the month of March is National Brain Injury Awareness Month, a time to 04 recognize the prevalence of brain injuries and help improve quality of life for individuals who 05 have sustained a brain injury; and 06 WHEREAS the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention defines a traumatic brain 07 injury as a disruption in the normal function of the brain that can be caused by a bump, blow, 08 or jolt to the head, or penetrating head injury; and 09 WHEREAS traumatic and acquired brain injuries can happen to anyone and can bring 10 a lifetime of secondary health conditions, including persistent post-concussion syndrome, post 11 traumatic stress injury, physical impairment, developmental delays, paralysis, cognitive and 12 behavioral problems, suicidal thoughts, and a greater risk for dementia, including 13 Alzheimer's, which may present lifelong challenges for individuals and their families; and 14 WHEREAS traumatic brain injuries, which often result from motor vehicle accidents, 15 falls, assaults, domestic violence, and sports and occupational injuries, are largely 16 preventable; and
01 WHEREAS the rate of identified traumatic and acquired brain injuries in the state is 02 significantly higher than the national rate; and 03 WHEREAS between 3,200,000 and 5,300,000 Americans live with long-term 04 disabilities resulting from traumatic brain injuries; and 05 WHEREAS, in 2016, approximately 27,000,000 new cases of traumatic brain injuries 06 were reported worldwide; and 07 WHEREAS the Brain Injury Association of America reports that every nine seconds 08 someone in the United States sustains a brain injury; and 09 WHEREAS approximately 137 people die every day in the United States because of 10 traumatic brain injury-related injuries; and 11 WHEREAS traumatic and acquired brain injuries may lead to homelessness, 12 substance or alcohol abuse, criminal behavior, domestic violence, or incorrectly diagnosed 13 mental or behavioral health disorders; and 14 WHEREAS access to education, assessment, support, and care can greatly improve 15 quality of life for an individual who has suffered a traumatic or acquired brain injury and 16 enable the individual to return to the individual's home, school, workplace, and community, 17 reducing the overall cost of care; and 18 WHEREAS policymakers have a responsibility to promote the safety and well-being 19 of our communities, including prevention of brain injuries, through resolutions and person- 20 centered policies; and 21 WHEREAS the global project Unmasking Brain Injury and other similar projects 22 seek to give survivors of traumatic and acquired brain injuries a voice, to promote brain injury 23 awareness and education, and to eliminate stigma and discrimination by showing that an 24 individual living with a brain injury deserves to be treated with dignity, respect, and 25 compassion and deserves full inclusion in the individual's community; and 26 WHEREAS Brain Injury Awareness Month is recognized by the Department of 27 Defense; and 28 WHEREAS, since 2000, over 339,462 service members have sustained traumatic 29 brain injuries; 30 BE IT RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature proclaims March 2020 as Brain 31 Injury Awareness Month and encourages residents of the state to further public awareness of
01 the effects of brain injuries and the importance of taking steps to prevent brain injuries. 02 COPIES of this resolution shall be sent to the Honorable Mike Dunleavy, Governor 03 of Alaska; and the Honorable Lisa Murkowski and the Honorable Dan Sullivan, U.S. 04 Senators, and the Honorable Don Young, U.S. Representative, members of the Alaska 05 delegation in Congress.