ACR 48, as amended, Cooley. Brain Injury Awareness, Treatment, and Prevention Month.
This measure would designate the month of March 2015 and each year thereafter as Brain Injury Awareness, Treatment, and Prevention Month, and would encourage public officials and the citizens of California to observe the month with appropriate activities and programs to raise awareness about the symptoms of, treatments for, and ways of preventing, traumatic brain injuries.
Fiscal committee: no.
P1 1WHEREAS, Each year, 2.5 million Americans sustain traumatic
2brain injuries; and
3WHEREAS, A traumatic brain injury is a contributing factor in
4roughly one-third of all injury-related deaths in the United States;
5and
6WHEREAS, Each year, 250,000 people in California sustain a
7traumatic brain injury; and
8WHEREAS, These injuries are largely the result of falls, motor
9vehicle crashes, assaults, sporting-related injuries, or occupational
10injuries; and
P2 1WHEREAS, More than 5.3 million Americans are living with
2disabilities related to traumatic brain injury; and
3WHEREAS, The federal Centers for Disease Control and
4Prevention (CDC) estimates that as many as 3.8 million sports-
5and recreation-related concussions occur in the United States
6annually; and
7WHEREAS, Significant national attention has been drawn to
8this issue due to the prominence and visibility of scholarship that
9has identified repeated concussions and brain injury as leading
10to negative long-term health outcomes; and
11WHEREAS, Traumatic brain injury is the signature injury of
12the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, presenting new challenges for
13members of the military and their families; and
14WHEREAS, The federal Centers for Disease Control and
15Prevention (CDC) estimates that as many as 3.8 million sports-
16and recreation-related concussions occur in the United States
17annually; and
18WHEREAS, The Federal Traumatic Brain Injury
19Reauthorization Act of 2014 (Public Law 113-196) has provided
20new authority for the CDC to review brain injury management in
21children, and to identify ongoing and potential opportunities for
22research; and
23WHEREAS, Research, treatment, and support help speed
24recovery from a traumatic brain injury; and
25WHEREAS, The Brain Injury Association of California offers
26education and support to individuals with traumatic brain injury
27and their families to help those individuals integrate into the
28community and live as independently as possible; and
29WHEREAS, The Brain Injury Association of California has
30designated March as Brain Injury Awareness Month to promote
31public awareness on the extent, causes, consequences, treatment,
32and prevention of traumatic brain injury, and to remind people
33with traumatic brain injuries and their families that they are not
34alone; now, therefore, be it
35Resolved by the Assembly of the State of California, the Senate
36thereof concurring, That the Legislature designates the month of
37March 2015, and each year thereafter, as Brain Injury Awareness,
38Treatment, and Prevention Month, and encourages public officials
39and the citizens of California to observe the month with appropriate
40activities and programs to raise awareness about the symptoms of,
P3 1treatments for, and ways of preventing, traumatic brain injuries;
2and be it further
3Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies
4of this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.
O
Corrected 3-26-15—See last page. 98