Subject to official confirmation from the Office of Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, we have received preliminary notification from the Department of Rehabilitation that the Governor has agreed to sign Assembly Bill 398 into law. AB 398 was co-sponsored by CFILC and Traumatic Brain Injury Services of California (TBISCA), a statewide membership organization comprised of the seven Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) services providers operating under contract with the State of California. Assembly Members Bill Monning and Wes Chesbro were the co-authors of the bill.

Effective January 1, 2010, AB 398 will transfer the administrative oversight of the California Traumatic Brain Injury Program from the Department of Mental Health to DOR. TBISCA has longed advocated for this transfer because DOR is the state agency that is best suited to administer the broad range of programs and services that are provided to TBI survivors and their families under the existing California TBI Program. AB 398 also includes express statutory provisions that authorize DOR to work in cooperation with the TBI service providers to apply for existing Federal vocational rehabilitation funds, as well as future funding opportunities for California’s veterans who may be returning from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan with TBIs.

Although the bill had been passed by both houses of the Legislature and had been enrolled and transmitted to the Governor on September 8, 2009, it was among the 704 bills that the Governor had threatened to veto unless the Legislature sent him a comprehensive state water infrastructure reform bill. Although the Legislature was unable to come to an agreement on the water bill before the end of session, the Governor has agreed that enough progress has been made to finalize that work in an upcoming Special Session.

Today’s announcement ensures that the final agreement negotiated by CFILC, TBISCA, DOR, and the Health and Human Services Agency on the TBI Program will be enacted into law.

TBISCA and CFILC are confident that the negotiated agreement will significantly improve the range of services that will now be available to TBI survivors.