§300d–61. Establishment of Program

(a) In general

The Secretary, acting through the Director of the National Institutes of Health (in this section referred to as the "Director"), shall establish a comprehensive program of conducting basic and clinical research on trauma (in this section referred to as the "Program"). The Program shall include research regarding the diagnosis, treatment, rehabilitation, and general management of trauma.

(b) Plan for Program

(1) In general

The Director, in consultation with the Trauma Research Interagency Coordinating Committee established under subsection (g) of this section, shall establish and implement a plan for carrying out the activities of the Program, including the activities described in subsection (d) of this section. All such activities shall be carried out in accordance with the plan. The plan shall be periodically reviewed, and revised as appropriate.

(2) Submission to Congress

Not later than December 1, 1993, the Director shall submit the plan required in paragraph (1) to the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives, and to the Committee on Labor and Human Resources of the Senate, together with an estimate of the funds needed for each of the fiscal years 1994 through 1996 to implement the plan.

(c) Participating agencies; coordination and collaboration

The Director-

(1) shall provide for the conduct of activities under the Program by the Directors of the agencies of the National Institutes of Health involved in research with respect to trauma;

(2) shall ensure that the activities of the Program are coordinated among such agencies; and

(3) shall, as appropriate, provide for collaboration among such agencies in carrying out such activities.

(d) Certain activities of Program

The Program shall include-

(1) studies with respect to all phases of trauma care, including prehospital, resuscitation, surgical intervention, critical care, infection control, wound healing, nutritional care and support, and medical rehabilitation care;

(2) basic and clinical research regarding the response of the body to trauma and the acute treatment and medical rehabilitation of individuals who are the victims of trauma;

(3) basic and clinical research regarding trauma care for pediatric and geriatric patients; and

(4) the authority to make awards of grants or contracts to public or nonprofit private entities for the conduct of basic and applied research regarding traumatic brain injury, which research may include-

(A) the development of new methods and modalities for the more effective diagnosis, measurement of degree of injury, post-injury monitoring and prognostic assessment of head injury for acute, subacute and later phases of care;

(B) the development, modification and evaluation of therapies that retard, prevent or reverse brain damage after acute head injury, that arrest further deterioration following injury and that provide the restitution of function for individuals with long-term injuries;

(C) the development of research on a continuum of care from acute care through rehabilitation, designed, to the extent practicable, to integrate rehabilitation and long-term outcome evaluation with acute care research; and

(D) the development of programs that increase the participation of academic centers of excellence in head injury treatment and rehabilitation research and training.

(e) Mechanisms of support

In carrying out the Program, the Director, acting through the Directors of the agencies referred to in subsection (c)(1) of this section, may make grants to public and nonprofit entities, including designated trauma centers.

(f) Resources

The Director shall assure the availability of appropriate resources to carry out the Program, including the plan established under subsection (b) of this section (including the activities described in subsection (d) of this section).

(g) Coordinating Committee

(1) In general

There shall be established a Trauma Research Interagency Coordinating Committee (in this section referred to as the "Coordinating Committee").

(2) Duties

The Coordinating Committee shall make recommendations regarding-

(A) the activities of the Program to be carried out by each of the agencies represented on the Committee and the amount of funds needed by each of the agencies for such activities; and

(B) effective collaboration among the agencies in carrying out the activities.

(3) Composition

The Coordinating Committee shall be composed of the Directors of each of the agencies that, under subsection (c) of this section, have responsibilities under the Program, and any other individuals who are practitioners in the trauma field as designated by the Director of the National Institutes of Health.

(h) Definitions

For purposes of this section:

(1) The term "designated trauma center" has the meaning given such term in section 300d–31(1) of this title.

(2) The term "Director" means the Director of the National Institutes of Health.

(3) The term "trauma" means any serious injury that could result in loss of life or in significant disability and that would meet pre-hospital triage criteria for transport to a designated trauma center.

(4) The term "traumatic brain injury" means an acquired injury to the brain. Such term does not include brain dysfunction caused by congenital or degenerative disorders, nor birth trauma, but may include brain injuries caused by anoxia due to near drowning. The Secretary may revise the definition of such term as the Secretary determines necessary.

(July 1, 1944, ch. 373, title XII, §1261, as added Pub. L. 103–43, title III, §303(a), June 10, 1993, 107 Stat. 151 ; amended Pub. L. 104–166, §2, July 29, 1996, 110 Stat. 1445 .)

Amendments

1996-Subsec. (d)(4). Pub. L. 104–166, §2(1), added par. (4).

Subsec. (h)(4). Pub. L. 104–166, §2(2), added par. (4).

Change of Name

Committee on Energy and Commerce of House of Representatives treated as referring to Committee on Commerce of House of Representatives by section 1(a) of Pub. L. 104–14, set out as a note preceding section 21 of Title 2, The Congress.

Traumatic Brain Injury Study; Consensus Conference

Section 4 of Pub. L. 104–166 provided that:

"(a) Study.-

"(1) In general.-The Secretary of Health and Human Services (in this section referred to as the 'Secretary'), acting through the appropriate agencies of the Public Health Service, shall conduct a study for the purpose of carrying out the following with respect to traumatic brain injury:

"(A) In collaboration with appropriate State and local health-related agencies-

"(i) determine the incidence and prevalence of traumatic brain injury; and

"(ii) develop a uniform reporting system under which States report incidents of traumatic brain injury, if the Secretary determines that such a system is appropriate.

"(B) Identify common therapeutic interventions which are used for the rehabilitation of individuals with such injuries, and shall, subject to the availability of information, include an analysis of-

"(i) the effectiveness of each such intervention in improving the functioning of individuals with brain injuries;

"(ii) the comparative effectiveness of interventions employed in the course of rehabilitation of individuals with brain injuries to achieve the same or similar clinical outcome; and

"(iii) the adequacy of existing measures of outcomes and knowledge of factors influencing differential outcomes.

"(C) Develop practice guidelines for the rehabilitation of traumatic brain injury at such time as appropriate scientific research becomes available.

"(2) Dates certain for reports.-

"(A) Not later than 18 months after the date of the enactment of this Act [July 29, 1996], the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Commerce of the House of Representatives, and to the Committee on Labor and Human Resources of the Senate, a report describing the findings made as a result of carrying out paragraph (1)(A).

"(B) Not later than 3 years after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to the Committees specified in subparagraph (A) a report describing the findings made as a result of carrying out subparagraphs (B) and (C) of paragraph (1).

"(b) Consensus Conference.-The Secretary, acting through the Director of the National Center for Medical Rehabilitation Research within the National Institute for Child Health and Human Development, shall conduct a national consensus conference on managing traumatic brain injury and related rehabilitation concerns.

"(c) Definition.-For purposes of this section, the term 'traumatic brain injury' means an acquired injury to the brain. Such term does not include brain dysfunction caused by congenital or degenerative disorders, nor birth trauma, but may include brain injuries caused by anoxia due to near drowning. The Secretary may revise the definition of such term as the Secretary determines necessary.

"(d) Authorizations of Appropriations.-For the purpose of carrying out subsection (a)(1)(A), there is authorized to be appropriated $3,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 1997 through 1999. For the purpose of carrying out the other provisions of this section, there is authorized to be appropriated an aggregate $500,000 for the fiscal years 1997 through 1999. Amounts appropriated for such other provisions remain available until expended."