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Legislative and Advocacy Round-up

June 2022  

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Brain Injury Resource Center

Whether you have a brain injury or concussion, are a caregiver or a professional, BIANJ has resources available for you. If you’re in need of further assistance, please contact the Helpline at 1-800-669-4323, or info@bianj.org.

Visit the Resource Library

Brain Injury Support Groups

Brain injury support groups allow people with brain injuries and their family members to meet others in similar situations. They gain valuable emotional support, form friendships, obtain information, and discuss a variety of brain injury topics.

Find a Support Group

CARES Program

The BIANJ CARES (Care, Assistance, Resources, Education and Support) Program supports individuals and families impacted by brain injury through care management. This program focuses on assessing current needs and developing a plan to help individuals achieve greatest potential and improve quality of life.

More about CARES

You're Invited to Join BIANJ's Advocacy Committee

The Voices Advancing the Brain Injury Community (formerly known as the Council for the Head Injury Community) champions and publicizes the advocacy, rights, and needs of people who have sustained a brain injury, and their families.

Make your voice heard

Support Coordination

The Alliance is an approved Division of Developmental Disabilities (DDD) /Medicaid-approved Support Coordination agency. Support Coordinators provide care management services to adults 21 + who are eligible for DDD services. Individuals and their families are assisted in identifying services and developing individualized plans based on a person’s needs. 

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Governor Murphy Signs Budget Bill Including Funds for Brain Injury Services

New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy, on June 30, 2022, signed into law a budget bill that includes $280,000 in funding for specialized community services to be administered by the Brain Injury Alliance of New Jersey. 


Including this funding in the next State budget will ensure that people impacted by brain injury receive services that maximize their quality of life.


Funding supports the following Alliance objectives:  


Outreach: To serve as a statewide resource to all aspects of brain injury.


Information & Resources Helpline:

To maintain a statewide system for purposes of identifying a wide

range of information and resources for individuals with varying levels

of brain injury and their families. Provide a website, e-mail address, and toll-free Family Helpline that enables users to contact the Information & Resource Service at

no cost to them.


Education: To provide people with brain injury, their families, and professionals who work with them

the opportunity to increase their knowledge of brain injury issues.


Advocacy: To ensure input by persons with brain injury and their families in order for the organization to address the needs of people with brain injury and to build the  advocacy capacity of the Alliance.


Support services: To develop and maintain county level support groups of the Alliance which provide information about brain injury, local support, and networking for purpose of addressing issues of concern.


To learn more about the Brain Injury Alliance of New Jersey's community services, you may contact our helpline at  1.800.669.4323 or info@bianj.org. To learn more about the State budget, you may contact Tom Grady at tgrady@bianj.org or at 732.745.0200 x233.


 


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Legislation that Advanced


Legislation listed below has advanced in the New Jersey State Legislature. Please contact Tom Grady, Director of Advocacy and Public Affairs if you would like more information about these bills at tgrady@bianj.org and/or whether you would like to contact your elected representatives to express your views on these bills


In the State Legislature


S-57: Emma’s Law”; requires school buses that transport students with special needs to be equipped with certain safety features.

 

S-471: Eliminates certain personal injury protection options

available under standard automobile insurance policies; requires $250,000 of medical expense benefits under standard and basic automobile insurance policies.

 

S-2254 / A-4271: Prohibits selection of health insurance coverage as primary under personal injury protection coverage.

 

S-2936:  Provides Medicaid coverage for certain home visitation program services under certain circumstances.

 

A-479: Allows corporation business tax and gross income tax credits to businesses employing certain persons with developmental disabilities.

 

A-518: Expands purpose of Traumatic Brain Injury Fund to support transportation costs incurred by eligible individuals

in accessing support group meetings.

 

A-1477: Increases allowance paid to war veterans with certain service-connected disabilities.


A-1514: Requires each nursing home to employ patient advocate.

 

A-3110: Establishes minimum Medicaid reimbursement rates for brain injury services.

 

A-3978: Authorizes home care for individuals who are disabled or elderly and requires health insurance coverage therefor.

 

A-4049: Provides for presumptive eligibility for home and community-based services under Medicaid.

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Thank You!


The Brain Injury Alliance of New Jersey supports a broad range of legislation that relates to brain injury. We appreciate those members of the State Legislature or the United States Congress who support bills by registering as a cosponsor of or introducing legislation. We would like to publicly thank the following member(s) for sponsoring the following bills:


In the State Legislature


S-471: Eliminates certain personal injury protection options available under standard automobile insurance policies; requires $250,000 of medical expense benefits under standard and basic automobile insurance policies.

  • Senator Jon Bramnick

 

A-3110: Establishes minimum Medicaid reimbursement rates for brain injury services.

  • Assemblymembers John DiMaio, Brandon Umba, Brian Bergen, Dr. Herb Conaway, Kevin Rooney, Shanique Speight, Sterley Stanley, Carol Murphy, Angela McKnight
  • Senator Declan O’Scanlon


S-2013: Allows gross income tax deduction for charitable contributions to certain New Jersey-based charitable organizations.

  • Senator Jean Stanfield


A-3731: "Penny's Law"; requires DEP to develop beach accessibility guidelines for persons with disabilities.

  • Assemblymembers Sterley Stanley, Reginald Atkins  

Stories Are An Effective Advocacy Tool

  

Many people with brain injury have unique stories about how brain injury has impacted lives. Some of these stories can impact the brain injury cause in positive ways. 


One advocate told the story of how brain injury impacted his son to a member of Congress. The result was the creation of the Congressional Brain Injury Task Force, which has been in existence since 2001. 


YOUR story can be used to make a difference for you and the brain injury community. 

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