WHEREAS, Brain Injury Awareness Month was developed to increase public awareness of brain injuries and their consequences; and

WHEREAS, Traumatic brain injury is a serious national public health epidemic that, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, strikes an estimated 1.4 million; and

WHEREAS, Annually traumatic brain injury claims more than 50,000 lives and leaves more than 80,000 individuals with lifelong disabilities; and

WHEREAS, Traumatic brain injury ranks as the leading cause of death and disability in children and young adults; and

WHEREAS, The Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center reports that traumatic brain injury is the "signature injury" for troops serving in Iraq and Afghanistan, with more than two-thirds of blast-injured veterans identified as having a brain injury; and

WHEREAS, Prevention is the only known cure for traumatic brain injury; and

WHEREAS, In partnership with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Health Resources and Services Administration, the Spinal Cord Association of Washington strives to increase brain injury awareness, and make prevention and safety measures part of American culture in an effort to decrease the number of brain injuries;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That the Washington State Senate honor National Traumatic Brain Injury Awareness Month during the month of March 2015, and urge all citizens to educate themselves about traumatic brain injury and take all necessary precautions to ensure their own safety and the safety of their loved ones.

I, Hunter G. Goodman, Secretary of the Senate,

do hereby certify that this is a true and

correct copy of Senate Resolution 8628,

adopted by the Senate

March 24, 2015

HUNTER G. GOODMAN

Secretary of the Senate