SB291

Senate Bill 291 transfers the administrative responsibility for maintaining the central registry of persons with disabilities resulting from traumatic head injuries from the Brain Injury Alliance of Arkansas to the Arkansas Department of Health. The bill mandates that hospitals within the Arkansas Trauma System report individuals with traumatic head injury-related disabilities to the Department of Health or its authorized agent. It clarifies the reporting timeline and the process for informing patients or their families about the report, while also providing them with the option to opt-out of future communications. Additionally, the bill updates requirements for the Department of Health to notify identified individuals or their families of available state-provided rehabilitative services and eligibility requirements. The bill also establishes a 30-business-day window for this notification, replacing the previous 15-day requirement. These changes are intended to streamline the coordination of rehabilitative services through official state channels.