S. 3963 — Introduced in Senate

II 117th CONGRESS 2d Session S. 3963 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES March 30, 2022Ms. Cortez Masto (for herself and Ms. Ernst) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions A BILL To protect survivors from brain injury by authorizing the Secretary of Health and Human Services to collect data on the prevalence of brain injuries resulting from domestic and sexual violence. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Protecting Survivors from Traumatic Brain Injury Act of 2022. 2. Data collection (a) Collection of data on brain injuries related to domestic and sexual violence (1) In general The Secretary of Health and Human Services (referred to in this section as the Secretary) shall collect data on the prevalence of brain injuries resulting from domestic and sexual violence in order to assist the Department in understanding, addressing, and allocating resources to reduce and treat such injuries and the cause of such injuries. (2) Collection In carrying out paragraph (1), the Secretary shall distribute a survey that follows up on, and operates under the National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey (NISVS) that will ask questions about the prevalence and circumstances surrounding brain injuries due to domestic and sexual violence. The Secretary shall allow for data collection for not fewer than 2 years. (3) Privacy Data shall be collected, stored, and analyzed under this section in a manner that protects individual privacy and confidentiality. (b) Report Not later than 3 years after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to relevant congressional committees, and post on the website of the Department of Health and Human Services, a report that shall contain— (1) an analysis of the data collected under subsection (a) relating to the connection between domestic and sexual violence and brain injuries; and (2) a description of the steps that the Department of Health and Human Services is taking to increase awareness, increase services, decrease prevalence, and otherwise respond to the public health issue of brain injury that results from domestic and sexual violence. (c) Authorization of appropriations There is authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary to carry out this section. Amounts appropriated under this subsection shall remain available for a 3-year period. (d) Definition In this section, the term brain injury means an injury that impacts the function of the brain as a result of trauma, choking, or strangulation due to domestic or sexual violence.