BILL ANALYSIS Ó AB 2127 Page 1 ASSEMBLY THIRD READING AB 2127 (Cooley) As Amended April 1, 2014 Majority vote EDUCATION 5-2 ----------------------------------------------------------------- |Ayes:|Buchanan, Gonzalez, | | | | |Nazarian, Weber, Williams | | | | | | | | |-----+--------------------------+-----+--------------------------| |Nays:|Olsen, Chávez | | | | | | | | ----------------------------------------------------------------- SUMMARY : Makes legislative findings and declarations relating to head injuries sustained by high school pupil-athletes, particularly those who play football; prohibits high school and middle school football teams from conducting more than two full-contact practices, as defined, per week during the preseason and regular season, as defined; completely prohibits full-contact practice during the off-season, as defined; and prohibits an athlete suspected of having sustained a concussion from returning to the athletic activity until the athlete has completed a return-to-play protocol, as specified. EXISTING LAW : 1)Requires the governing school board of each school district to have control of and be responsible for all aspects of the interscholastic athletic policies, programs, and activities in its district. 2)Permits governing boards of school districts to enter into associations or consortia with other governing boards for the purpose of governing regional or statewide interscholastic athletic programs by permitting the schools under their jurisdictions to enter into a voluntary association with other schools for the purpose of enacting and enforcing rules relating to eligibility for, and participation in, interscholastic athletic programs among and between schools. AB 2127 Page 2 3) Defines interscholastic athletics as those policies, programs, and activities that are formulated or executed in conjunction with, or in contemplation of, athletic contests between two or more schools, either public or private. 4)Requires each high school sports coach to complete a coaching education program developed by his or her school district, or the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF), that meets the guidelines set forth by the High School Coaching Education and Training Program (HSCETP). 5)Requires a school district that elects to offer an athletic program to comply with all of the following: a) Remove an athlete who is suspected of sustaining a concussion or head injury in an athletic activity from the activity for the remainder of the day. b) Prohibit an athlete who is suspected of sustaining a concussion or head injury in an athletic activity from returning to the activity until he or she is evaluated by a licensed health care provider, trained in the management of concussions, acting within the scope of his or her practice. c) Prohibit the return of the athlete to the activity until he or she receives written clearance to return to the activity from that licensed health care provider. d) Require, annually, a concussion and head injury information sheet be signed and returned by the athlete and the athlete's parent or guardian prior to the start of the athlete's season of practice or competition. 6)Exempts an athlete engaging in an athletic activity during the regular school day, or as part of a physical education course, from these requirements. AB 2127 Page 3 FISCAL EFFECT : None. This bill is keyed non-fiscal by the Legislative Counsel. COMMENTS : In 2011, the National Football League (NFL) limited the total number of full-contact practices to 14 for the year with 11 of those practices conducted during the first 11 weeks of the season (a maximum of one per week), with no full-contact practices during the off-season. Similarly, 19 states have banned off-season full-contact high school football practices, including Texas, which is widely seen as the mecca of high school football. In instituting such limitations, the NFL and state Legislatures have cited an effort to reduce exposure to possible brain trauma from hits to the head. This bill addresses the repetitive concussive trauma and follows the lead of the NFL, by limiting the number of full-contact practices in which a high school football player can participate. In so doing, this bill seeks to minimize the opportunities for trauma. Return-To-Play Protocol: The Return-To-Play Protocol, as described by the United States' Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) consists of five "steps" following a complete physical and the absence of concussion symptoms for a period of 24 hours. The steps progress from light aerobic exercise for five to ten minutes, to moderate exercise, to non-contact but more intense exercise, a reintegration into full practice, and finally a return to play. The CDC emphasizes the need for each of these steps to be monitored for a return of concussion symptoms. This bill would prohibit an athlete who is suspected of sustaining a concussion from returning to the athletic activity in which he or she suffered the concussion until the athlete has completed a return-to-play protocol of not less than seven days in duration. This bill makes no reference to any particular protocol, but instead urges the CIF to work with the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Medical Society for Sports Medicine to develop and adopt rules and protocols to implement the protocol. Analysis Prepared by : Jill Rice / ED. / (916) 319-2087 FN: 0003174 AB 2127 Page 4