Tag Archives: NJ

NJ’s Proposed Step Forward May Be a Step Too Far

New Jersey Senate Bill S192, introduced January 13, 2026, would allow residents diagnosed with a traumatic or acquired brain injury to voluntarily add a designation to their driver’s license or state ID. The notation, stored in a Motor Vehicle Commission registry accessible to law enforcement, aims to improve interactions between officers and brain-injured individuals.

The bill is sponsored by Senate Transportation Committee Chair Senator Patrick Diegnan, with Senator Parker Space among its co-sponsors, making it a bipartisan measure. “[Individuals with brain injuries] often have differing communication styles and body language, which an officer could misinterpret. Having a designation would help to lower the risk of negative encounters,” states Diegnan.  This is not Diegnan’s first push on the issue. Predecessor bills S3673 and A2961 carried over from the 2024 – 2025 session.

Other states have already enacted comparable measures. Virginia allows residents to voluntarily add a traumatic brain injury designation to their driver’s license or ID card through the DL-145 form. Maine has codified acquired brain injury identification cards under Title 29-A, §1410-A of state statute. While New Jersey, Virginia and Maine may politically lean left, the contents of the bill are bipartisan, in relation to state. In right-leaning Tennessee, Code § 55-50-307 provides a similar acquired brain injury designation for driver’s licenses and photo ID cards.

Proponents argue the bill saves lives by reducing dangerous miscommunications during traffic stops. Critics, however, raise civil liberties concerns, as a visible disability marker could expose individuals to stigma, implicit bias, or unequal treatment. Well-intentioned protection could inadvertently promote discrimination against the brain-injured population.

What will happen to S192 in New Jersey remains uncertain. Since introduction, the Senate Transportation Committee passed it with amendment by a unanimous 6–0 vote on February 5, 2026. It now sits in Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee, before being sent to the Senate and Assembly.

Teletherapy Promising for TBI Emotional Recovery

A major government-funded initiative is further advancing the understanding of teletherapy for emotional health challenges following traumatic brain injury. In December 2025, the U.S. Department of War announced a $4.3 million multi-site study testing Building Emotional Self-Awareness Teletherapy (BEST), led by the Hackensack Meridian JFK Johnson Rehabilitation Institute (NJ) and designed to help brain injury survivors recognize and regulate emotions.

The DoW’s Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs is funding this nationwide study through its Traumatic Brain Injury and Psychological Health Research Program with partner institutions, including the Indiana University School of Medicine, the National Intrepid Center of Excellence, and the University of South Florida. The study will enroll 152 civilian and military participants experiencing emotional dysregulation after mild traumatic brain injury.

The federal government’s exploration into telehealth, in relation to brain injury, has long been studied. As early as 2003, the NIH reported that, “A case study is presented in which teletherapy was successfully utilized to improve the functional outcomes, both physical and cognitive, of a patient with a severe TBI.” More recent government-supported research, led by the University of Washington and UC San Diego and published in July 2025 in Frontiers in Neurology found that telehealth interventions significantly improved depression, anxiety, PTSD, and sleep symptoms in service members with concussions.

Preliminary results are encouraging: 83% of BEST participants reported noticeable improvement in functioning. These developments offer hope that accessible remote therapy can transform emotional recovery for millions affected by brain injury.