HCR 31-TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY AWARENESS MONTH  MR. RYAN MAKINSTER, staff to Representative Lesil McGuire, presented CSHCR 31(HES) on behalf of the sponsor. He began by telling members that there was a request for an amendment that would proclaim May rather than April as Traumatic Brain Injury Awareness Month. He explained that every 21 seconds someone in the U.S. sustains a traumatic brain injury (TBI), which equals more than 4,000 people daily. Of the approximately 1,500,000 people who suffer these injuries annually, 50,000 die while another 80,000 sustain life-changing injuries. In Alaska alone at least 600 people receive acute care for brain injuries, 150 Alaskans die, and another 190 experience the onset of lifelong disabilities because of traumatic brain injuries. TBI is not something that one can find a cure for and it is not a disease. They are the result of accidents. The only way to lower these numbers is to increase awareness. Males below the age of 30 have a higher risk of TBIs. A lot of professional skaters, skiers, and snowboarders wear helmets now; people should wear helmets and seatbelts to lower the incidence of injury. MR. MAKINSTER offered the background information that Representative McGuire's younger brother - who is his same age - experienced a head-on collision during his senior year and was in a coma for three months. He came out of the coma, graduated from high school, went to college and is a productive citizen in society but, he has lifelong disabilities including a speech impediment. The jobs that were available to him are no longer available. Mr. Makinster told members that one of his close friends was involved in a jet-ski accident in Idaho and was in a coma for six months. He had been a straight-A student, all-star athlete, had a full scholarship to Washington State University to play football. Subsequently he had to drop out of school for two years for rehabilitation. He did eventually graduate from college with a 4.0; however, he has to take expensive medication for the rest of his life. MR. MAKINSTER respectfully requested that three changes be made to HCR 31. The first change would be on page 1, line 1, changing "April" to "May" of 2004. Also, an associated change would be to change the language to "May" on page 2, line 6. The reason for this change is because today's date is already partially through April, 2004. Also this would then be in concert with the Kenai Peninsula's TBI Awareness Week. The third change would be to insert "Alaska Traumatic Brain Injury Advisory Board" after the word "the" on page 1, line 14. CHAIR DYSON moved to amend CSHCR 31(HES) to change the date to reflect May instead of April of 2004, and to include the "Alaska Traumatic Brain Advisory Board" and asked if there was any objection. Seeing and hearing none, those amendments were adopted. CHAIR DYSON thanked Mr. Makinster, noting that perhaps someone would be saved or would receive support as a result of increased awareness. SENATOR GRETCHEN GUESS moved to report CSHCR 31 as amended [SCS CSHCR 31(HES)] out of committee with individual recommendations and the accompanying zero fiscal note. CHAIR DYSON asked if there was any objection. There being none, it was so ordered.