BILL ANALYSIS Ó
AB 1451
Page 1
CONCURRENCE IN SENATE AMENDMENTS
AB 1451 (Hayashi)
As Amended June 15, 2012
Majority vote
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|ASSEMBLY: |70-0 |(April 12, |SENATE: |36-0 |(June 28, |
| | |2012) | | |2012) |
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Original Committee Reference: ED.
SUMMARY : Adds new requirements to the California High School
Coaching Education and Training Program (HSCTP) for training on
understanding the signs and symptoms of concussions and the
appropriate response to concussions.
The Senate amendments specify that concussion training may be
fulfilled through entities offering free, online, or other types
of training courses.
AS PASSED BY THE ASSEMBLY , this bill was substantially similar
to the version passed by the Senate.
FISCAL EFFECT : Unknown. This bill is keyed non-fiscal by the
Legislative Counsel.
COMMENTS : This bill requires additional training for high
school sports coaches on understanding the signs and symptoms of
concussions and the appropriate response to concussions.
Coaches Training: Currently the California Interscholastic
Federation (CIF) offers training programs to high school coaches
who receive a certificate upon course completion (typically an
eight hour class). To date more than 60,000 coaches have taken
the training, which costs approximately $60 per person. Some
school districts pay for the program while others require the
coach to pay for it. The completed certificate is transferable
between school districts. CIF's coaches training program under
the HSCTP does not currently include instruction on concussions.
CIF currently offers a free online concussion training course
for coaches where they receive an immediate printed
certification upon completion. Of the 67,929 coaches in
California, 5,323 have taken the online course. The bill
specifies that concussion training may be fulfilled through
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entities offering free, online, or other types of training
courses.
Currently, coaches must complete a CPR/First Aid course and
renew that training every two years. Because this bill includes
training on concussions as part of the CPR/First Aid training
requirement, coaches will be required to receive updated
concussion training every two years as well. This renewal
requirement is important because the strategies for dealing with
head injuries are often changing.
According to a nationwide study published in the Journal of
Athletic Training, football has the highest rate of concussions
in high school sports with 47 concussions occurring per 100,000
player games or practices. Girls soccer has the second highest
rate of concussions in high school sports with 36 concussions
occurring per 100,000 player games or practices. Boys soccer
and girls basketball have the third and fourth highest rate of
concussions in high school sports with 22 and 21 concussions per
100,000 player games or practices, respectively. In the sport
of football alone, since 1997, at least 50 high school or
younger athletes have been killed or sustained serious head
injuries on the field.
The National Federation of State High School Associations
reports that participation in high school sports continues to
increase, with more than seven million high school students
participating in 2005-2006. Concussions are a serious and
growing public health issue for athletes involved in contact
sports - an estimated 300,000 sport-related traumatic brain
injuries, predominantly concussions, occur annually in the
United States. Even more troubling, studies show as many as 20%
of all high school football players sustain concussions
annually.
Scientific studies have raised concerns about the long-term
impacts of head injuries in sports. Although most headlines
focus on the deterioration of major football stars, youth are
also gravely at risk because of their developing brains.
According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), upwards of
three million sports- and recreation- related concussions occur
in the United States each year. Football is the leading cause
for high school males, and soccer for females.
Concussions can occur in any sport and all concussions are
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serious. Concussions are often difficult to identify because
they can occur without loss of consciousness. A repeat
concussion that occurs before the brain recovers from the
first-usually within a short period of time can result in brain
swelling, permanent brain damage, and even death. According to
the CDC, this condition is called second impact syndrome (SIS).
The American College of Sports Medicine estimated last year that
85% of all concussions among high school athletes go
undiagnosed, meaning many high school athletes are exposing
themselves to the risk of SIS.
Previous legislation: AB 1646 (Hayashi) of 2010, which was held
on the Assembly Appropriations Committee suspense file, would
have required training for coaches to be able to identify
symptoms of head and neck injury. The additional training would
have been incorporated into coaches' first aid certification
renewal.
Analysis Prepared by : Chelsea Kelley / ED. / (916) 319-2087
FN: 0004168