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By Bay City News Service
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s office announced his signature on eight bills Tuesday that extend services and expand care for California veterans and National Guardsmen.
Among the signed legislation is SB 1401, authored by state Sen. Joe Simitian, D-Palo Alto, which provides for outreach programs educating veterans and their families about signs of traumatic brain injury.
According to J.P. Tremblay of the California Department of Veterans Affairs, injuries to the brain are not immediately detectable, and longer-term behavioral symptoms such as irritability and disorientation are often self-medicated when not professionally diagnosed and treated.
Under Sen. Simitian’s sponsored bill, passed by the Senate on Aug. 7, the veterans affairs department and the California National Guard will recommend traumatic brain injury screenings to all California veterans and guardsmen returning from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.