Legislation To Address Traumatic Brain Injury Heads to Governor

OKLAHOMA CITY – Oklahoma is a signature away from a major step to better protect citizens from traumatic brain injury as House Bill 1010 is moves to the Governor’s desk.

HB1010, authored by Rep. Trish Ranson, D-Stillwater, creates an Advisory Council on Traumatic Brain Injury to provide guidelines and advice to agencies and other entities. The TBI Advisory Council will work with the Oklahoma Department of Health to collect data, identify needs, clarify deficiencies in care, research causes and promote prevention.

“We learned in the interim study held in 2019 that Oklahoma is one of only a handful of states that does not provide treatment for TBI,” Ranson said. “Survivors are sent to neighboring states, sometimes at great hardship to family members.”

Not only is HB1010 a great step toward progress in combating the effects of TBI, but it also provides an opportunity to bring federal funding home to Oklahoma.

“We also learned that the federal government requires an umbrella state agency and TBI-specific advisory council for states to be eligible for federal funding,” Ranson said. “Once this new legislation goes into effect, Oklahoma can capture some of those federal dollars.”

HB1010 has made a few trips through the halls of the Legislature as it stalled last year when COVID expedited the end of the 2020 session. Now, however, the legislation has passed both chambers and has moved to the executive branch for final passage.

“This is a constituent request bill that has the potential to help Oklahomans for many years to come,” Ranson said. “This type of grass-roots legislation is why we are here as legislators.”

The Governor has five days to sign or veto the legislation. To show your support for the legislation, contact the Governor’s office at (405) 521-2342.