71-3705. Brain Injury Trust Fund; created; use; investment.

(1) The Brain Injury Trust Fund is created. The fund shall consist of appropriations from the Legislature, transfers authorized by the Legislature, grants, and any contributions designated for the purpose of the fund. Any money in the fund available for investment shall be invested by the state investment officer pursuant to the Nebraska Capital Expansion Act and the Nebraska State Funds Investment Act.

(2)(a) The fund shall be administered through a contract with the University of Nebraska Medical Center for administration, accounting, and budgeting purposes and used to pay for contracts for assistance for individuals with a brain injury with outside sources that specialize in the area of brain injury. Such outside sources shall operate, at a minimum, statewide, and also in targeted areas as defined and determined in the contract, with individuals with a brain injury; work to secure and develop community-based services for individuals with a brain injury; provide support groups and access to pertinent information, medical resources, and service referrals for individuals with a brain injury; and educate professionals who work with individuals with a brain injury.

(b) Expenditures from the fund may also include, but not be limited to:

(i) Resource facilitation. Resource facilitation shall be given priority and made available to provide ongoing support for individuals with a brain injury and their families for coping with brain injuries. Resource facilitation may provide a linkage to existing services and increase the capacity of the state's providers of services to individuals with a brain injury by providing brain-injury-specific information, support, and resources and enhancing the usage of support commonly available in a community. Agencies providing resource facilitation shall specialize in providing services to individuals with a brain injury and their families;

(ii) Voluntary training for service providers in the appropriate provision of services to individuals with a brain injury;

(iii) Followup contact to provide information on brain injuries for individuals on the brain injury registry established in the Brain Injury Registry Act;

(iv) Activities to promote public awareness of brain injury and prevention methods;

(v) Supporting research in the field of brain injury;

(vi) Providing and monitoring quality improvement processes with standards of care among brain injury service providers; and

(vii) Collecting data and evaluating how the needs of individuals with a brain injury and their families are being met in this state.

(c) No more than ten percent of the fund shall be used for administration of the fund.

(d) Data collection and evaluation pursuant to this section shall not be a burden or unnecessary hardship to individuals with a brain injury or service providers.

(e) Nothing in this section shall require a professional, provider, caregiver, or individual to receive training as a condition of receiving or providing nonmedical services to individuals with a brain injury.

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