Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 110

Introduced by Senator Mendoza

(Principal coauthor: Assembly Member Cooley)

February 16, 2016

Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 110—Relative to Brain Injury Awareness, Treatment, and Prevention Month.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

SCR 110, as introduced, Mendoza. Brain Injury Awareness, Treatment, and Prevention Month.

This measure would designate the month of March 2016, 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.

WHEREAS, Each year, 2.5 million Americans sustain traumatic
brain injuries; and

WHEREAS, A traumatic brain injury is a contributing factor in
roughly one-third of all injury-related deaths in the United States;
and

WHEREAS, Each year, 250,000 people in California sustain a
traumatic brain injury; and

WHEREAS, These injuries are largely the result of falls, motor
vehicle crashes, assaults, sporting-related injuries, or occupational
injuries; and

WHEREAS, More than 5.3 million Americans are living with
disabilities related to traumatic brain injury; and

WHEREAS, The federal Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC) estimates that as many as 3.8 million sports-
and recreation-related concussions occur in the United States
annually; and

WHEREAS, Significant national attention has been drawn to
this issue due to the prominence and visibility of scholarship that
has identified repeated concussions and brain injury as leading to
negative long-term health outcomes; and

WHEREAS, Traumatic brain injury is the signature injury of
the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, presenting new challenges for
members of the military and their families; and

WHEREAS, The Federal Traumatic Brain Injury
Reauthorization Act of 2014 (Public Law 113-196) has provided
new authority for the CDC to review brain injury management in
children, and to identify ongoing and potential opportunities for
research; and

WHEREAS, Research, treatment, and support help speed
recovery from a traumatic brain injury; and

WHEREAS, The Brain Injury Association of California offers
education and support to individuals with traumatic brain injury
and their families to help those individuals integrate into the
community and live as independently as possible; and

WHEREAS, The Brain Injury Association of California has
designated March as Brain Injury Awareness Month to promote
public awareness on the extent, causes, consequences, treatment,
and prevention of traumatic brain injury, and to remind people
with traumatic brain injuries and their families that they are not
alone; now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the Senate of the State of California, the Assembly
thereof concurring, That the Legislature designates the month of
March 2016, and each year thereafter, as Brain Injury Awareness,
Treatment, and Prevention Month, and encourages 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;
and be it further

Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate transmit copies of
this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.