House-Passed Bill Reauthorizes These Three Traumatic Brain Injury Programs

The chamber authorized three federal programs that support traumatic brain injury research, surveillance, prevention and rehabilitation.

The House of Representatives has passed legislation to renew federal programs that support work combatting traumatic brain injuries (TBI).

The legislation, introduced by Rep. Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-N.J.), would reauthorize three federal programs that support TBI research, surveillance, prevention, rehabilitation and patient advocacy. The programs—the TBI Surveillance and Registries Program, the State Grant Program, and Protection and Advocacy (P&A) Systems—were established in 1996 and expired in 2024.

This new legislation would extend them through 2030. The House-passed bill now heads to the Senate.

The TBI Surveillance Program collects national data through state registries, while the State Partnership Grant Program builds local infrastructure for care. The P&A Systems defend survivor rights and prevent abuse. Agencies including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Administration for Community Living (ACL) oversee these programs to address the needs of individuals with brain injuries.

The bill comes after new Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) data revealed that the number of cases of TBI, which occurs when a sudden blow to the head causes damage to the brain, grew by 26% between 2021 and 2025—averaging more than 28,000 annual cases.

From 2001 to 2025, roughly 556,502 veterans screened positive for TBI or a TBI-related diagnosis in VA medical records, or filed claims for VA disability compensation.

The new legislation would also rename the government's national TBI surveillance program in honor of former New Jersey Rep. Bill Pascrell, Jr., who founded the Congressional Brain Injury Task Force to research TBI.

“Naming the nation’s traumatic brain injury program in Bill Pascrell’s honor is a meaningful tribute to my dear friend, who believed people living with traumatic brain injuries deserved a voice in Congress,” Pallone said in a statement. “His ceaseless advocacy transformed how our country understands these injuries and improved the lives of numerous survivors and their families.”

Funding for TBI Programs

The new legislation comes amid concerns about the level of federal funding for TBI.

Congress decreased spending on TBI research and treatment from $175 million in Fiscal Year 2024, to $40.5 million in FY26, according to multiple reports.

The nonprofit Disabled American Veterans (DAV) and military health research group Invisible Wounds Foundation, in a joint statement, called on Congress to "act now" to fund "research to prevent, diagnose and treat TBI."

"Today’s vote is an important victory for Americans living with traumatic brain injuries and for the families who stand beside them every day,” said Rep. Nellie Pou (D-N.J.) in a statement. “I am proud the House came together to renew these vital programs."

TBI Research Amplifies

There have been recent advancements in TBI research.

Seizures, caused by a condition called post-traumatic epilepsy (PTE) that develops after a TBI, can be prevented by treating patients with chemicals derived from the gut microbiome, according to new research from Texas A&M University's Naresh K. Vashisht College of Medicine.

By testing on injured brain tissue, researchers found that sodium butyrate—a molecule created in the gut microbiome when bacteria breaks down food—can block enzymes called histone deacetylase (HDACs) that are triggered by brain injury and cause inflammation and other symptoms associated with PTE.

Last week, the Army announced what one official described as the "single most important advancement" in detecting TBIs.

The new handheld diagnostic device, i-STAT Alinity, is being fielded by U.S. Army medical leaders in Europe and uses a blood sample to detect biomarkers in the brain that are released when an injury occurs. The discovery of neural damage can occur in less than 15 minutes.