Senate passes TBI Act renewal after 2024 lapse

The Senate passed Senate bill 5600 to renew federal traumatic brain injury programs whose funding authorizations lapsed in 2024, the American College of Sports Medicine said in an October 20 policy update.

Evidence grade: Claim (no study cited). ACSM’s October 20 advocacy post reports legislative activity, not health-outcome evidence. Because the House passed bill 7208 and the Senate passed bill 5600, Congress must reconcile the two measures before enactment.

The programs at issue support federal work on brain injury research, concussion policy, surveillance and state-level support for people living with neurotrauma, according to ACSM. The group said the 2024 lapse did not end the programs, which continued through baseline operations.

The House version would extend funding through 2030 and rename surveillance infrastructure to honor the late Representative Bill Pascrell, Jr, ACSM said. The Senate version, named the Dennis John Benigno Traumatic Brain Injury Program Reauthorization Act, would require broader data collection on occupational risks and long-term traumatic brain injury outcomes.

ACSM said the bills also differ on state grants and congressional reporting. The Senate bill would create new state grant programs with maintenance-of-effort requirements and possible waivers, while the House bill focuses on state health-care infrastructure and coordination from acute care to rehabilitation.

The policy update also covered Nicole Saphier’s nomination for United States Surgeon General. The Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee voted 12-11 on September 30 to advance her nomination to the full Senate after a September 16 hearing.

“I have long believed that we spend too much time and resources treating chronic disease after it takes hold, and not enough time helping Americans reduce their risk before illness begins,” Saphier said in opening remarks quoted by ACSM.

ACSM said the administration nominated Saphier after a legislative stalemate over Casey Means, its previous nominee. The group said the full Senate confirmation vote is expected sometime after the November midterm elections, but did not give a date.

A third item in the update described a September 23 Senate Judiciary Committee hearing chaired by Senator Chuck Grassley. The hearing focused on transgender athlete participation in female sports categories, Title IX compliance and competitive categorization.

ACSM said witnesses from the Independent Council on Women’s Sports, the Alliance Defending Freedom, and current and former female athletes argued for preserving sex-based athletic categories. Their testimony centered on concerns about competitive fairness and physiological differences, according to ACSM.

ACSM also reported that Senate Democrats boycotted the question-and-answer portion of that hearing. Ranking Member Senator Dick Durbin gave an opening statement before leaving and, according to ACSM, cited NCAA data indicating fewer than 10 of more than 500,000 college athletes are transgender.

The sports hearing followed earlier Senate action on the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act, Senate bill 9, which ACSM said failed to reach the 60-vote threshold needed to overcome a filibuster in 2025. ACSM said it expects additional legislative activity on sports categorization at federal and state levels.

For the TBI legislation, the next procedural step is a conference committee to merge the House and Senate versions into one text. Both chambers would then need to pass identical legislation before it could be sent to the President.

Source: advocacy update, American College of Sports Medicine, October 20, 2026

Atlas360 reports health research and does not provide medical advice.