PRINTER'S NO. 2166
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE BILL
No.
1522
Session of
2015
INTRODUCED BY BARBIN, BARRAR, SAINATO, READSHAW, D. COSTA,
THOMAS, ROZZI, WATSON, V. BROWN, BIZZARRO, RAPP, MURT,
DRISCOLL, MILLARD, McNEILL, WARD, MAHONEY, GILLEN AND
JOZWIAK, SEPTEMBER 8, 2015
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON VETERANS AFFAIRS AND EMERGENCY
PREPAREDNESS, SEPTEMBER 8, 2015
AN ACT
Providing funding to the Department of Military and Veterans
Affairs for the purpose of providing current service members
and veterans with access to high-definition fiber tracking
brain scans and supporting ongoing clinical research in this
Commonwealth involving traumatic brain injuries.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Short title.
This act shall be known and may be cited as the High-
Definition Fiber Tracking (HDFT) for Veterans Act.
Section 2. Definitions.
The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
context clearly indicates otherwise:
"Brain scan equipment." Health care imaging equipment
capable of identifying brain damage by graphic depiction of
individual nerve tracts.
"Department." The Department of Military and Veterans
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Affairs of the Commonwealth.
"Eligible center." A health care facility designated by the
department to provide access to HDFT brain scans.
"HDFT." A brain scan employing High-Definition Fiber
Tracking technology.
Section 3. Military members and veterans.
(a) Diagnosis.--Any military veteran or active duty or
reserve member of the United States Armed Forces or National
Guard who has symptoms of traumatic brain injury or
posttraumatic stress or evidence of combat-related concussion
shall be eligible to receive diagnostic treatment through the
use of the new HDFT technology using equipment located in this
Commonwealth.
(b) Eligible centers.--The military veteran shall visit an
eligible center in order to begin the process for the use of the
diagnostic technology.
(c) Brain scan equipment.--The equipment shall be provided
to eligible centers to provide access to HDFT technology
throughout this Commonwealth.
Section 4. Regulations.
The department shall promulgate regulations for the
implementation of this act. The regulations shall allow for the
maximum number of military members and veterans to be able to
use the HDFT technology.
Section 5. Funding.
(a) Eligible centers.--One million dollars shall be
appropriated for the implementation of this act and shall be
used by the department for distribution to all eligible centers.
The amount shall be distributed proportionally based on the
number of veterans served at each eligible center. The money
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received by each eligible center shall be used to pay for
hardware and software costs of the diagnostic technology and
administrative expenses of the eligible center directly related
to the provision of HDFT scans to military members and veterans.
(b) Brain scan equipment.--One million dollars shall be
appropriated for the implementation of this act and shall be
distributed by the department to ensure availability of the
diagnostic technology at locations throughout this Commonwealth.
Section 6. Appropriation.
The sum of $2,000,000, or as much thereof as may be
necessary, is appropriated to the department for the fiscal year
July 1, 2015, through June 30, 2016, to carry out the provisions
of this act.
Section 7. Effective date.
This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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