
From the U.S. Code Online via GPO Access
[wais.access.gpo.gov]
[Laws in effect as of January 23, 2000]
[Document affected by Public Law 106-310 Section 1303]
[Document affected by Public Law 106-310 Section 1302]
[CITE: 42USC300d-61]

 
                 TITLE 42--THE PUBLIC HEALTH AND WELFARE
 
                    CHAPTER 6A--PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE
 
                        SUBCHAPTER X--TRAUMA CARE
 
             Part F--Interagency Program for Trauma Research
 
Sec. 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, Sec. 1261, as added Pub. L. 103-43, 
title III, Sec. 303(a), June 10, 1993, 107 Stat. 151; amended Pub. L. 
104-166, Sec. 2, July 29, 1996, 110 Stat. 1445.)


                               Amendments

    1996--Subsec. (d)(4). Pub. L. 104-166, Sec. 2(1), added par. (4).
    Subsec. (h)(4). Pub. L. 104-166, Sec. 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.''
