Enrolled HR 7: Proclaiming March 2021 as Brain Injury Awareness Month.
00Enrolled HR 7 01 Proclaiming March 2021 as Brain Injury Awareness Month. 02 _______________ 03 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES: 04 WHEREAS the month of March is National Brain Injury Awareness Month, a time to 05 recognize the prevalence of brain injuries and help improve quality of life for individuals who 06 have sustained a brain injury; and 07 WHEREAS the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention defines a traumatic brain 08 injury as a disruption in the normal function of the brain that can be caused by a bump, blow, 09 or jolt to the head or penetrating head injury; and 10 WHEREAS traumatic and acquired brain injuries can happen to anyone and can bring 11 a lifetime of secondary health conditions, including persistent concussion symptoms, post- 12 traumatic stress injury, physical impairment, developmental delays, paralysis, cognitive and 13 behavioral problems, suicidal thoughts, and a greater risk for dementia, including 14 Alzheimer's, which may present lifelong challenges for individuals and their families; and 15 WHEREAS traumatic brain injuries, which often result from motor vehicle accidents, 16 falls, assaults, domestic violence, and sports and occupational injuries, are largely
01 preventable; and 02 WHEREAS the rate of identified traumatic and acquired brain injuries in the state is 03 significantly higher than the national rate; and 04 WHEREAS between 3,200,000 and 5,300,000 Americans live with long-term 05 disabilities resulting from traumatic brain injuries; and 06 WHEREAS, in 2016, approximately 27,000,000 new cases of traumatic brain injuries 07 were reported worldwide; and 08 WHEREAS the Brain Injury Association of America reports that every nine seconds 09 someone in the United States sustains a brain injury; and 10 WHEREAS approximately 137 people die every day in the United States because of 11 traumatic brain injury-related injuries; and 12 WHEREAS traumatic and acquired brain injuries may lead to homelessness, 13 substance or alcohol misuse, criminal behavior, domestic violence, or incorrectly diagnosed 14 mental or behavioral health disorders; and 15 WHEREAS access to education, assessment, support, and care can greatly improve 16 quality of life for an individual who has suffered a traumatic or acquired brain injury and 17 enable the individual to return to the individual's home, school, workplace, and community, 18 reducing the overall cost of care; and 19 WHEREAS, during the past decade, an increase in research dedicated to traumatic 20 brain injury has improved understanding of the long-lasting, dynamic nature of the 21 pathophysiology resulting from, and the brain's capacity to adapt in response to, traumatic 22 brain injury; and 23 WHEREAS policymakers have a responsibility to promote the safety and well-being 24 of our communities, including prevention of brain injuries, through resolutions and person- 25 centered policies; and 26 WHEREAS the global project Unmasking Brain Injury and other similar projects 27 seek to give survivors of traumatic and acquired brain injuries a voice, to promote brain injury 28 awareness and education, and to eliminate stigma and discrimination by showing that an 29 individual living with a brain injury deserves to be treated with dignity, respect, and 30 compassion and deserves full inclusion in the individual's community; and 31 WHEREAS Brain Injury Awareness Month is recognized by the Department of
01 Defense; and 02 WHEREAS, since 2000, over 339,462 service members have sustained traumatic 03 brain injuries; 04 BE IT RESOLVED that the House of Representatives proclaims March 2021 as 05 Brain Injury Awareness Month and encourages residents of the state to further public 06 awareness of the effects of brain injuries and the importance of taking steps to prevent brain 07 injuries.