Recalled

March 18, 2025

H. 4119

Introduced by Reps. Davis, M. M. Smith, Alexander, Anderson, Atkinson, Bailey, Ballentine, Bamberg, Bannister, Bauer, Beach, Bernstein, Bowers, Bradley, Brewer, Brittain, Burns, Bustos, Calhoon, Caskey, Chapman, Chumley, Clyburn, Cobb-Hunter, Collins, B. J. Cox, B. L. Cox, Crawford, Cromer, Dillard, Duncan, Edgerton, Erickson, Forrest, Frank, Gagnon, Garvin, Gatch, Gibson, Gilliam, Gilliard, Gilreath, Govan, Grant, Guest, Guffey, Haddon, Hager, Hardee, Harris, Hart, Hartnett, Hartz, Hayes, Henderson-Myers, Herbkersman, Hewitt, Hiott, Hixon, Holman, Hosey, Howard, Huff, J. E. Johnson, J. L. Johnson, Jones, Jordan, Kilmartin, King, Kirby, Landing, Lawson, Ligon, Long, Lowe, Luck, Magnuson, Martin, May, McCabe, McCravy, McDaniel, McGinnis, Mitchell, Montgomery, J. Moore, T. Moore, Morgan, Moss, Murphy, Neese, B. Newton, W. Newton, Oremus, Pace, Pedalino, Pope, Rankin, Reese, Rivers, Robbins, Rose, Rutherford, Sanders, Schuessler, Sessions, G. M. Smith, Spann-Wilder, Stavrinakis, Taylor, Teeple, Terribile, Vaughan, Weeks, Wetmore, White, Whitmire, Wickensimer, Williams, Willis, Wooten and Yow

S. Printed 3/18/25--S.

Read the first time March 6, 2025

________

A concurrent RESOLUTION

TO DECLARE MARCH 2025 AS "BRAIN INJURY AWARENESS MONTH" IN SOUTH CAROLINA IN ORDER TO SUPPORT BRAIN INJURY SURVIVORS AND THEIR FAMILIES, TO INCREASE THE PUBLIC'S AWARENESS OF THE PREVALENCE OF BRAIN INJURY IN THE STATE AND NATIONALLY, AND TO RECOGNIZE THE IMPORTANCE OF PREVENTION AND TREATMENT OF BRAIN INJURIES.

Whereas, every nine seconds nationally, someone sustains a brain injury from a fall, stroke, accident, infection, lack of oxygen, sports activities, or in service to the military; and

Whereas, in the most conservative estimates, more than 5.3 million people in the United States are living with brain injuries; and

Whereas, estimates suggest that more than 700,000 South Carolinians experience a traumatic brain injury or stroke each year, and more than 182,000 South Carolinians who are disabled from those events; and

Whereas, the United States CDC identifies chronic diseases as conditions that last one year or more and require ongoing medical attention or limit activities of daily living or both; and

Whereas, in 2024, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services recognized traumatic brain injury (TBI) as a chronic health condition, adding TBI to its list of chronic conditions that already included stroke; and

Whereas, as many as fifty percent of mild traumatic brain injuries go unreported and undetected; and

Whereas, brain injury survivors and their families can struggle to identify and secure proper medical treatment, services, and care, despite the often lifelong effects of brain injuries; and

Whereas, the Brain Injury Association of South Carolina works to reduce the incidence and impact of brain injury through prevention, research, education, and advocacy and by facilitating interagency commitment and collaboration that flows from greater public understanding of brain injuries. Now, therefore,

Be it resolved by the House of Representatives, the Senate concurring:

That the members of the South Carolina General Assembly, by this resolution, declare March 2025 as "Brain Injury Awareness Month" in South Carolina in order to support brain injury survivors and their families, to increase the public's awareness of the prevalence of brain injury in the State and nationally, and to recognize the importance of prevention and treatment of brain injuries.

Be it further resolved that a copy of this resolution be presented to the Brain Injury Association of South Carolina.

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