I wanted to let you know that earlier this week I found out that funding for all TBI Act programs has been accomplished! Additionally, Congress has issued instructions to continue and expand TBI research through the National Institute on Neurological Disorders and Stroke. On June 25, 2005, the House of Representatives approved the Fiscal Year 2006 Department of Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act (LHHS). The LHHS bill provides the following: *TBI CDC Program — $5,354,000 (same funding level as 2005) *TBI HRSA Programs — $9 million ($297,000 below the 2005 level) *NINDS

“The Committee encourages NINDS to build upon basic and translational research in brain injury rehabilitation at the National Center on Medical Rehabilitation and Research (NCMRR). NCMRR has awarded grants to eight bench science research centers and a data center to establish the cooperative multi-center traumatic brain injury clinical trials network. The Committee encourages NINDS to participate in supporting these centers and to support training grants for TBI researchers.”

These funding levels and the report language represent a tremendous achievement. The House of Representatives had difficult choices to make amid one of the toughest budget years in recent memory and a budget proposal from President Bush that recommended the elimination or drastic reduction of more than 150 health programs, including the TBI HRSA programs. This year’s funding for the TBI Act is a testament to the strong support the TBI Act enjoys in Congress. The Senate is expected to begin consideration of the LHHS bill during the week of July 11.