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.

NJ Reopens Facility But Long-term TBI Care Residences Remain Limited Nationally

Healthcare worker helping man in wheelchair use keyboard for therapy

Congressman Tom Kean Jr. (NJ) recently helped reopen Complete Care at Willow Creek, the only long-term care facility for seniors with traumatic brain injuries in New Jersey. The Somerset County facility had closed after flood damage during Hurricane Ida nearly 5 years ago, followed by a fire. A terminated Medicare Provider Number threatened years of further delay. Kean’s office intervened, and the facility welcomed its first returning patient in August 2026. As Kean put it, “New Jersey’s seniors deserve access to the care they need.”.

Long-term facilities matter because severe TBI often requires round-the-clock skilled nursing, rehabilitation, and cognitive support that other house members can’t provide. While every state has general long-term care and nursing homes, specialized brain-injury facilities are comparatively rarer: Willow Creek is New Jersey’s sole option and, in total, only around 17 states provide specialized TBI-specific Medicaid waiver programs to fund long-term residential and group-home placements.

No Pills, No Scalpel: Magnetic Pulse Treatment for Brain Injury

Healthcare professional applying a transcranial magnetic stimulation device to a patient's head in a clinical setting

Imagine treating a brain injury with no incision or pill, but just a magnetic coil held against the scalp. Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) turns that promise into a reality, sending gentle magnetic pulses through the skull, so that misfiring brain circuits go back into rhythm. Long cleared by the FDA to treat depression, the painless technology is now being tested for treatment of traumatic brain injury and the lingering fog, headaches, and trauma it leaves behind.

Weighing TMS against combat-related PTSD, a 2026 systematic review examined a registry of 770 veterans who received TMS probes to determine how brain injury shapes treatment response. And, in a rigorous trial funded by the Department of Veterans Affairs, researchers at VA San Diego treated 70 veterans plagued by relentless headaches after mild brain injuries. Half of the study participants received real stimulation, while half received a placebo. After just ten sessions, published in early 2026, the magnetic group reported fewer headaches, in addition to sharper memory and attention.

Soon, a quiet magnetic coil may become a mainstay of brain-injury medicine.

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.  

Veterans’ Brain-Injury Cases Surge as Research Funding Falls

Graph showing surge in confirmed veterans brain injury cases from 2018 to 2022 with key contributing factors

New data from the VA’s Traumatic Brain Injury Veterans Health Registry reveals that 556,502 veterans entered the registry between September 2001 and September 2025. (This 26 percent jump in just four years averages more than 28,000 new cases annually since 2021.) This data was make available in July 2026, just as the federal funding for TBI research has dropped from $175 million to $40.5 million. (Of course, this drop does not apply to state funding.)

In a joint statement, Disabled American Veterans National Commander Coleman Nee and Invisible Wounds Foundation CEO Shannon Connell urged Congress “to increase funding and direct greater focus toward service member and veteran-centered TBI research. The response from Congress has echoed this and crossed party lines. In a May 2026 hearing reviewing that budget, Senate Appropriations Chair Susan Collins blasted proposed budget reductions targeting the National Institutes of Health.” Rep. Mike Levin (CA) called the current level “a drastic cut from prior years” and pledged to fight for more funding.

North Carolina’s New Four-Year Brain Injury Plan and Statewide Screening Tool

Diagram of OBISSS online brain injury screening and support system with five steps

North Carolina has launched a new statewide strategy to help residents living with traumatic brain injury. The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services announced its 2026–2029 Traumatic Brain Injury State Action Plan on July 22, 2026; the plan officially took effect July 1. Developed by the Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities and Substance Use Services alongside NC Medicaid, the Division of Public Health, and the Brain Injury Advisory Council, it centers on four priorities: expanding access to services, strengthening provider support, bolstering resources for people with TBI and their caregivers, and equipping communities to prevent injuries.

“Really listening to those most impacted by TBI was essential to developing strategies that will improve their quality of life,” said Kelly Crosbie, assistant secretary for mental health, developmental disabilities and substance use services.

The need is significant. In 2024, roughly 8,260 North Carolinians were hospitalized for TBI, more than 32,000 visited emergency departments, and 2,668 died from TBI-related causes, with falls the leading cause.

One of the plan’s first initiatives, the Online Brain Injury Screening & Support System (OBISSS), goes live August 1. Created by the National Association of State Head Injury Administrators, this free and confidential tool identifies an individual’s exposure to brain injury.

Protecting & Rejuvenating Brains at the Pool This Summer

Three children playing and splashing in ocean waves at the beach
Swimmer diving into outdoor pool lane 4 with splash

On June 24, 2026, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission released new data on child drowning. An average of 376 children under 15 died in pool and spa incidents each year from 2021 to 2023. Of these fatalities, nearly 80% of the victims are under age five, and more than 70% of incidents at residential homes.

Less visible are the roughly 8,000 nonfatal drownings annually, as both adult and youth survivors of such incidents can sustain lasting brain damage. Diving adds a second summer hazard, particularly head-first impact in shallow water drives force straight through the neck.

While these numbers may cause worry, time in the water can safely stay one of the best parts of the summer by following some rules, including:

  1. Assign a sober “water watcher”
  2. Install four-sided fencing with self-latching gates
  3. Enroll children in swimming lessons
  4. Learn CPR
  5. Enter unfamiliar water feet-first
Woman performing water exercise with therapist assistance in swimming pool

On the other side of the spectrum, for those in recovery from a brain injury, aquatic therapy (AT) is a highly recognized form of treatment. A 2020 PubMed-available study found that “the use of AT during post-acute phase to improve motor functions and quality of life in patients with s[evere]TBI.” In March 2026, a new in-depth review of this subject was published on PubMed: Aquatic Therapy as a Programmable Multisensory Environment for Arousal and Postural Control After Severe Acquired Brain Injury.

Senate’s College Sports Overhaul Includes Safety

On June 2, the Protect College Sports Act, S.4668, was introduced by Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Ted Cruz (TX) alongside Ranking Member Maria Cantwell (WA), Senator Eric Schmitt (MO) and Senator Chris Coons (DE). Chiefly an overhaul of name, image and likeness rules, “It [also] establishes strong health and safety protections,” stated Cruz on June 3, a day that was headlined by a hearing with the former Alabama coach Nick Saban. The legislation would require concussion and brain-injury safety standards enforced by independent officers and create a $60 million annual trust fund for long-term conditions such as CTE.

Infographic showing four pillars of college sports safety: injury prevention, facility safety, medical support, and education preparedness.

The committee voted 19-9 on June 18 to advance it, and it now sits on the Senate calendar awaiting a floor vote. Last week, on July 13, 2026, the bipartisan Protect College Sports Act picked up two new backers, as Senators Shelley Moore Capito (WV) and Peter Welch (VT) signed on as cosponsors. Days later, Senator Eric Schmitt told the Associated Press Sports Editors that they “probably have 60 votes,” meeting the threshold the measure needs to clear the full Senate.

The bill is backed by the NCAA but is opposed by the SEC and Big Ten. However, this opposition appears to be against financial aspects of the bill and about over government overreach, and not about new safety standards. Additionally, a House companion bill, H.R. 9137, remains in committee. President Trump has urged passage “this summer”.

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