Category Archives: State Law

Federal Crackdown on Commercial Truck Drivers Beyond Immigration

In 2024, Dalilah Coleman was critically injured when an 18-wheeler truck crashed on a California road that the government attributes to an undocumented immigrant driver. On August 31, 2026, in Detroit, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, joined by Dalilah and her father, announced a major interagency crackdown on the trucking industry, targeting fraud. This fraud specifically applies to commercial licenses and unlicensed, non-English-proficient drivers, as Mullin had warned that unqualified drivers who cannot “understand the rules of the road” are endangering Americans.

Emergency crews respond to a truck and car collision on highway

Motor-vehicle crashes cause about 24.5 percent of all traumatic brain injury hospitalizations. A loaded tractor-trailer presents more danger because it can outweigh a passenger car twentyfold. In 2024, crashes involving large trucks killed 5,340 people and injured an estimated 161,201. Data isolating brain injuries caused by unlicensed commercial drivers does not yet exist, but enforcement figures hint at the scale.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration also announced the emergency removal of certifications for 110 CDL schools, and the proposed removal of certifications of dozens of other training schools. Totaling over of 160 schools, and associated with more than 5,000 drivers, the FMCSA cites these school for certifying drivers who fail English language proficiency tests. Additionally, since 2025, the USDOT put more than 28,000 drivers “out of service” for English language proficiency violations, though this equals a temporary stop, not a license revocation. They also forced states to cancel over 30,000 improperly issued licenses.

Head Injury Sidelines AR Justice, Prompting Gubernatorial Appointment

Arkansas Supreme Court seal reading Supreme Court of Arkansas, Est. 1836

Arkansas Supreme Court Associate Justice Barbara Webb has been recovering from a serious head injury since May 6, 2026. The 69-year-old jurist slipped and struck her head on her kitchen’s wood floor. At the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, she underwent surgery. before relocating to a Houston facility for physical, occupational and speech therapy.

The injury, and the physical, occupational and speech therapy that accompany brain injury recovery, have kept Webb off the bench for months, leaving the seven-member court a justice short. Because at least four justices must concur to decide a case, her absence raised the risk of tie votes and stalled rulings. This was of particular concern now, as high-profile disputes over abortion, school vouchers and executions are advancing toward the fall term.

To fill the gap, Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders appointed attorney Cory Cox as special justice, a temporary replacement, on August 19, 2026. Cox shares Webb’s conservative outlook, thereby preserving the court’s balance. “As we pray for Justice Webb’s recovery, I know Cory has the character and work ethic to serve on the Court,” Sanders said.

Illinois Bipartisan Act Modernizes Stroke Care

Illinois State Capitol building with banner and informational signs about stroke care and prevention

Illinois has updated how it recognizes the hospitals that treat one of the most common forms of acquired brain injury. On July 31, 2026, Gov. JB Pritzker signed HB5494 into law as Public Act 104-0706, effective January 1, 2027.

The statute directs that “the approved stroke designation levels shall coincide with the stroke designation levels recognized by Department-approved certifying bodies,” keeping Illinois aligned with national standards. It amends the Emergency Medical Services Systems Act, broadening “Primary Stroke Centers” to “Stroke Centers”. Additionally, it empowers the Illinois Department of Public Health to update designation levels and reporting through administrative rulemaking in consultation with the State Stroke Advisory Subcommittee.

No recorded statement has been made by any state politician regarding HB5494, as of yet. However, the measure was strikingly bipartisan, passing the House 112-0 and the Senate 56-0, with Democratic Rep. Barbara Hernandez as lead sponsor and Republican Senate Leader John Curran among its Senate sponsors.

Illinois Expands Coverage for Common Consequence of Brain Injury

Speech therapist pointing at speech sound cards while boy looks and practices using a mirror

Illinois has strengthened access to speech therapy for people recovering from brain injuries. On June 26, 2026, Gov. JB Pritzker signed SB 2899 into law as Public Act 104-0528. The measure amends the Illinois Insurance Code and Public Aid Code to require coverage of rehabilitative services for individuals under 19 with an early acquired speech-language disorder. It also directs Medicaid to cover rehabilitative stuttering therapies for those 21 and under. The insurance provisions take effect January 1, 2028.

The change matters for brain injury survivors, as rehabilitative speech therapy is often central to recovery. By mandating coverage of rehabilitative care, the law helps ensure that survivors have access to therapies designed to help them regain their ability to communicate.

As Senator Willie Preston (IL-16), the bill’s sponsor, said “young people [now] have access to the tools, support and treatment they need to find their voice and be heard.”

Heat, the Brain, and the Law

Red Ford pickup truck driving on a desert road under bright sun with mountains ahead

Extreme heat is a direct threat to the brain. When the body cannot shed heat fast enough, core temperature climbs and heat stroke can follow. This medical emergency leads to overheated blood damaged neurons and can result in cognitive impairment. People already living with a brain injury are especially vulnerable, as damaged temperature-regulating systems make it harder to cool down and easier to slip into confusion, seizures, or worsening symptoms.

Prevention, though, is straightforward and quite simple: hydrate constantly, rest in shade or air conditioning, avoid exertion during the hottest time of the day, and wear light clothing. Most importantly, treat dizziness, nausea, or confusion as warning signs and call 911 immediately when there is sudden confusion or a collapse.

Government response has been uneven. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s original Heat National Emphasis Program expired in April 2026 and was replaced by a revised, expanded federal program running through April 2031. H.R. 6213 and S. 4427 would prevent the Department of Labor from putting a national heat safety rule into action.

Profile of a human head with a detailed brain illustration and legal symbols including a gavel, scales, and law book.

On July 21, 2026, the House Education and Workforce Committee advanced the Heat Workforce Standards Act in an 18-15 party-line vote to block OSHA from finalizing such a rule. Opposing it, Rep. Alma Adams (NC) challenged colleagues to “stack boxes on Independence Avenue for a few hours without water and without shade.” In support of the bill, Rep. Tim Walberg (MI) argued that it isn’t fair to impose a “one-size-fits-all” federal mandate across very different industries, climates, and workplace environments. Though all states have extreme temperature concerns, as can be attested in the Northeast right now, it is notable that the opposition comes from not only party lines, but also from regions of the country that often have heat waves.  

Hawaii’s New Strick E-Bike Law to Prevent Brain Injury

Dr. Josh Green in white coat with stethoscope in office and Hawaiian flag

Governor Josh Green signed Act 259 (HB 2021) on July 15, 2026, giving Hawaii its first comprehensive statewide e-bike framework. The law requires helmets for all riders under 18, bars anyone under 15 from operating an e-bike, and prohibits riders under 16 from using Class 2 or Class 3 models without adult supervision.

The measure grew out of an alarming rise in head trauma. Hawaii Department of Health data reported that e-bike injuries more than doubled between 2022 and 2025, from 106 to 244. Honolulu EMS also found that 81 percent of the e-bike patients that were treated wore no head protection. Honolulu-based Kapi’olani Medical Center’s trauma team reported that e-bike crashes recently became the leading cause of injury among the children it treated.

Man riding a bicycle on the sandy beach during sunset

Green, previously an emergency physician, has been blunt about the stakes. “If they have a head trauma, they’re probably going to have long-standing disability from the traumatic head injury,” he said in a September 2025 interview.

The law also reclassifies machines exceeding 28 mph as e-motorcycles, subject to licensing, registration, and insurance. California imposes comparable rules, while New Jersey now goes further, requiring helmets for e-bike riders of every age.

See also: E-Bikes and Brain Injury: The Risks, the Recovery, and the Law

Group-home Debate in NH Focuses on Those With Brain Disorders

Elderly man with walker, young woman wearing helmet, and caregiver talking outside a blue assisted living home

New Hampshire’s group homes for people with brain injuries and developmental disabilities are getting new legislative scrutiny: Gov. Kelly Ayotte signed House Bill 1763 into law on June 19, 2026, creating a committee to study how these residences are sited, built and maintained statewide, and whether siting disputes push vulnerable residents from needed care.

The panel, which was formed after neighbors in towns like Bow objected to state-backed homes appearing without notice, must report findings by Nov. 1, 2026. Sponsor Rep. Mike Drago said “residents feel blindsided” when facilities open unannounced. Disability advocate Lisa Beaudoin countered that “it is perfectly safe to have people with developmental disabilities in one’s neighborhood.” More so, advocates state that it is needed, as New Hampshire’s estimated 2,000 residents with acquired brain disorders rely on such housing to stay near family and services.

New Hampshire isn’t first to grapple with this tension. California has guaranteed small group homes equal footing with single-family houses since 1978. Connecticut adopted similar zoning-parity protections around 1980, later adding density limits after litigation. New York took a study-first approach in 2025, forming a working group on group-home families – a path New Hampshire now follows, as well.

NJ Lawmakers Push Bill to Catch Brain Injuries Before They Become Criminal Records

Nearly one in five incarcerated adolescents have a clinically significant brain injury. Most, however, are never diagnosed. New Jersey lawmakers want to change that.

Assembly bill A5104 (introduced May 18, 2026) and its Senate companion S4112 (introduced May 4, 2026) would establish a Brain Injury Screening and Education Program within the Department of Children and Families, targeting children and specific young adults ages 5 to 21, who are in or at risk of entering the mental-health or juvenile-justice systems. The program would deploy validated screening tools, train judges, educators, law enforcement, and facility staff, and fund public outreach on the link between undiagnosed brain injury and delinquency. As stated in the bill’s text, the goal is to “prevent admissions to psychiatric hospitals and reduce the recidivism rates of juveniles adjudicated delinquent.”

Committee hearing on Juvenile Brain Injury Bill in State House chamber with legislators reviewing documents

Prime sponsor Assemblyman Sterley Stanley is joined in the Senate by Patrick Diegnan, whose history of support for the brain injury committee includes championing New Jersey’s 2010 student-athlete concussion law and earning the Brain Injury Alliance’s Brady Award for Public Service in 2019. Bipartisan Senate co-sponsors are Angela McKnight and Owen Henry.

As of June 2026, no other state has enacted a comparable statutory youth program, making New Jersey a potential national first.

Georgia’s Lifeline for Brain Injured Officers

When a law enforcement officer suffers a catastrophic brain injury in the line of duty, the injury itself can make it nearly impossible to ask for help. Georgia Governor Brian Kemp addressed that cruel reality on May 6, 2026, signing House Bill 1128.

Sponsored by Representative Devan Seabaugh and a stated legislative priority of the Kemp administration, HB 1128 allows for a one-time reopening of the application window for officers who have sustained brain injuries to reapply for these benefits. It also amends Georgia code so that legal guardians are notified of those benefits. The Georgia State Indemnification Fund can pay up to $150,000 for brain damage suffered in the line of duty.

“The Kemp family will always back the blue, and I’m proud to sign legislation today that ensures they are supported throughout their careers of service and into retirement,” Governor Kemp said.

Georgia State Patrol police SUV with blue and silver color scheme and state insignia

The bill corrects a painful catch-22 in which a brain injury can strip an officer of the very cognitive capacity needed to file a claim before a 24-month deadline expires. HB 1128 creates a special application window from July 1, 2026, to August 1, 2026, for public safety officers who suffered total permanent disability due to brain damage sustained in the line of duty on or before July 1, 2024, and whose capacity to apply was impaired by the injury. Unfortunately, some first responders didn’t previously know that they were eligible, which caused many to miss out on this money.

(Kemp has also championed related causes, as the same day he signed “Rio’s Law,” mandating autism-recognition training for police officers. In 2025, he signed the Dignity and Pay Act, which phased out subminimum wages for workers with disabilities. He also signed the GAME Act, in 2024, establishing a statewide framework to recruit and retain employees with disabilities in state government.)

VT Acknowledges Your Brain Has Rights

Vermont state flag flying on a pole with mountainous landscape in background

When Vermont Governor Phil Scott signed H.814 into law on May 18, 2026, it marked a quiet but historic moment: every Vermonter gained a legal right to the privacy of their own mind. For the brain injury community, which is a population that increasingly relies on brain-computer interfaces, AI-powered rehabilitation tools, and wearable neurotechnology, the law provides a crucial layer of protection for some of the most intimate data imaginable.

Formally titled “An act relating to neurological rights and the use of artificial intelligence technology in health and human services,” H.814 takes effect July 1, 2026. The bill legally recognizes what should already be commonsense: every Vermonter has a right to “mental and neural data privacy,” “the freedom of thought,” and protection from “unauthorized access to or manipulation of an individual’s brain activity.” For those with brain injuries who depend on neurotechnology for communication, mobility, or cognitive support, that last phrase is a safeguard for the data generated at the most vulnerable intersection of their lives.

With this bill, Vermont joins Colorado, California, Montana, and Connecticut, though each of which has taken a distinct approach to neurological privacy. Colorado and California moved first in 2024, amending existing consumer privacy statutes to classify neural data as sensitive personal information. Montana went further with a standalone law amending its Genetic Information Privacy Act, requiring robust consent and uniquely prohibiting the storage of neural data in U.S.-sanctioned countries. Connecticut’s 2025 amendment was narrower, covering only the central nervous system. Vermont’s law aligns most closely with Connecticut’s, in that it establishes specific rights, while directing the state’s AI Advisory Council to develop further ethical guidelines, which extends through 2030.

Sponsored by State Representative Brian Cina, a clinical social worker, Vermont’s new legislation, and beyond the aforementioned five states that have similar laws, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Illinois, and New York are currently advancing similar bills. For the brain injury community, the question is no longer whether neurotechnology will be part of care and recovery, as it already is. The question is whether the law will keep pace.