State Rep. Bryan Barbin announced Thursday a re-introduction of a 2015-16 house bill providing $1 million for state military veterans’ access to traumatic brain injury technology.

The technology is a high-definition fiber tracking brain scanner that can collect brain data in millimeters, much like an X-ray for the brain.

According to the bill, the funding is to provide current military service members and veterans with access to this technology and support ongoing clinical research in Pennsylvania on traumatic brain injuries.

The bill is yet to be passed.

Barbin, along with Pitt scientists who developed the technology, introduced the $27 million research program’s progress Thursday at the Pitt-Johnstown Murtha Center.

About 29 community members attended the forum.

Walt Schneider, the university’s Neurotrauma Program Director, said he and his teammates also plan to develop and deploy the technology in Texas in 2018 and in Pennsylvania in 2019.

He said researchers focus on studying problems caused by brain injuries too much, while they study too little about those who do well after brain injuries, which is a bias that he is working to change.

“Seventy percent of the people (who have had brain injuries) do fine,” Schneider said.

Barbin also said he is aware of an online petition to help prevent suicides on McNally Bridge on U.S. Route 219 that has gathered over 5,000 signatures as of Friday.

He said this technology is his answer to prevent suicidal ideation and divert people from committing suicide on the bridge.

Katrina Custer, a behavioral medicine nurse at Conemaugh Health System, is the one who started the petition.

She said she hoped for state officials to respond with their plans to help prevent future suicides when she created the petition.

“Although I did not know anyone who has jumped from McNally, I care enough about those struggling with depression and suicidal thoughts that I wanted to do something,” Custer said.