Amended in Assembly April 26, 2016

California Legislature—2015–16 Regular Session

Assembly Bill No. 2007

Introduced by Assembly Member McCarty

February 16, 2016

An act to add Article 2.5 (commencing with Section 124235) to Chapter 4 of Part 2 of Division 106 of the Health and Safety Code, relating to youth athletics.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

AB 2007, as amended, McCarty. Youth athletics: youth sports organizations: concussions or begin insert other end insert head injuries.

Existing law requires a school district, charter school, or private school, if it offers an athletic program, to immediately remove an athlete from an athletic activity for the remainder of the day if the athlete is suspected of sustaining a concussion or head injury, and prohibits the athlete from returning to the athletic activity until the athlete is evaluated by a licensed health care provider, trained in the management of concussions, and acting within the scope of his or her practice, and the athlete receives written clearance from the licensed health care provider to return to the athletic activity. Existing law also requires, on a yearly basis, a concussion and head injury information sheet to be signed and returned by the athlete and athlete’s parent or guardian before the athlete’s initiating practice or competition.

This bill would begin delete additionally end delete apply these provisions to athletes participating in youth sports organizations, as begin delete defined. end delete begin insert defined to include, but not necessarily limited to, a business or nonprofit entity or a local governmental agency, that sponsor or conduct amateur athletic competitions, camps, or clubs. The bill would require youth sports organizations to notify the parents or guardians of athletes 17 years of age or younger who have been removed from athletic activities due to suspected concussions, as specified. The bill would require youth sports organizations to give concussion and head injury education, or educational materials, or both, to each of their coaches and administrators on a yearly basis, as prescribed. The bill would also require youth sports organizations to identify an individual within the organization who is responsible for ensuring compliance by the organization with the bill’s requirements for providing concussion and head injury education. The bill would additionally require the youth sports organization to identify the details of the return-to-play protocol, as specified. end insert

Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: no. State-mandated local program: no.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.  

Article 2.5 (commencing with Section 124235)
is added to Chapter 4 of Part 2 of Division 106 of the Health and
Safety Code, to read:

 

Article 2.5.  Youth Sports Concussion Protocols

 

124235.  

(a) A youth sports organization that elects to offer an
athletic program shall comply with begin delete both end delete begin insert all end insert of the following:

(1) An athlete who is suspected of sustaining a concussion or
begin insert other end insert head injury in an athletic activity shall be immediately
removed from the athletic activity for the remainder of the day,
and shall not be permitted to return to the athletic activity until he
or she is evaluated by a licensed health care provider. The athlete
shall not be permitted to return to the athletic activity until he or
she receives written clearance to return to the athletic activity from
a licensed health care provider. If the licensed health care provider
determines that the athlete sustained a concussion or begin delete a end delete begin insert other end insert head
injury, the athlete shall also complete a graduated return-to-play
protocol of no less than seven days in duration under the
supervision of a licensed health care provider.

begin insert

(2) If an athlete who is 17 years of age or younger has been
removed from athletic activity due to a suspected concussion, the
youth sports organization shall notify a parent or guardian of that
athlete of the time and date of the injury, the symptoms observed,
and any treatment provided to that athlete for the injury.

end insert begin delete

(2)

end delete

begin insert ( end insert begin insert 3) end insert  On a yearly basis, begin insert the youth sports organization shall give end insert
a concussion and head injury information sheet begin insert to each athlete.
The information sheet end insert shall be signed and returned by the athlete
and, if the athlete is 17 years of age or younger, begin insert shall also be signed end insert
by the athlete’s parent or guardian, before the athlete initiates
practice or competition.

begin insert

(4) On a yearly basis, the youth sports organization shall give
concussion and head injury education, or educational materials,
or both, to each coach and administrator of the youth sports
organization.

end insert

begin insert (5) end insert begin insert   end insert begin insert The youth sports organization shall identify both of the
following: end insert

begin insert

(A) An individual within the organization who is responsible
for ensuring compliance by the organization with the requirements
for providing concussion and head injury education contained in
paragraph (4).

end insert begin insert

(B) Details of the return-to-play protocol required pursuant to
paragraph (1).

end insert

(b) As used in this section, the following terms have the
following meanings:

begin insert

(1) “Concussion and head injury education and educational
materials” and a “concussion and head injury information sheet”
shall, at a minimum, include information relating to all of the
following:

end insert begin insert

(A) Head injuries and their potential consequences.

end insert begin insert

(B) The signs and symptoms of a concussion.

end insert begin insert

(C) Best practices for removal of an athlete from an athletic
activity after a suspected concussion.

end insert begin insert

(D) Steps for returning an athlete to school and athletic activity
after a concussion or head injury.

end insert begin delete

(1)

end delete

begin insert ( end insert begin insert 2) end insert  “Licensed health care provider” means a licensed health
care provider who is trained in the begin insert end insert begin insert evaluation and end insert management of
concussions and is acting within the scope of his or her practice.

begin delete

(2)

end delete

begin insert ( end insert begin insert 3) end insert  “Youth sports organization” means an begin delete organization end delete
begin insert organization, which may include, but is not necessarily limited to,
a business or nonprofit entity or a local governmental agency, end insert that
sponsors or conducts begin insert amateur end insert athletic competitions, camps, or
clubs in which persons 17 years of age or younger participate.

(c) This section shall not be construed to prohibit a youth sports
begin delete league, end delete begin insert organization, end insert or any other appropriate entity, from adopting
and enforcing rules intended to provide a higher standard of safety
for athletes than the standard established under this section.