AB 2007, as amended, McCarty. Youth athletics: youth sports organizations: concussions or other 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
apply these provisions to athletes participating in youth sports organizations, as defined to include organizations, businesses, nonprofit entities, or local governmental agencies that sponsor or conduct amateur sports competitions, training, camps, or clubs in which persons 17 years of age or younger participate in any ofbegin delete 25end deletebegin insert 27end insert designated sports. 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 offer concussion and head injury education, or related educational materials, or both, to each of their coaches and administrators on a yearly basis, as prescribed. The bill would require each of these coaches and
administrators to successfully complete the concussion and head injury education offered under the bill at least once either online or in person.
The bill would also require a youth sports organization to identifybegin delete an individual within the organization who is responsibleend deletebegin insert proceduresend insert for ensuring compliancebegin delete by the organizationend delete with the bill’s requirements for providing concussion and head injurybegin delete education.end deletebegin insert education and a concussion and head injury information sheet.end insert The bill would additionally require the
youth sports organization to identify procedures to ensure compliance with the athlete removal provisions and the return-to-play protocol, as specified. The bill would specify that it applies to all persons participating in the activities of a youth sports organization, irrespective of their ages.
Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: no. State-mandated local program: no.
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
Article 2.5 (commencing with Section 124235)
2is added to Chapter 4 of Part 2 of Division 106 of the Health and
3Safety Code, to read:
4
(a) A youth sports organization that elects to offer an
8athletic program shall comply with all of the following:
9(1) An athlete who is suspected of sustaining a concussion or
10other head injury in an athletic activity shall be immediately
P3 1removed from the athletic activity for the remainder of the day,
2and shall not be permitted to return to any athletic activity until
3he or she is evaluated by a licensed health care provider. The athlete
4shall not be permitted to return to athletic activity until he or she
5receives written clearance to return to athletic activity from a
6licensed health care provider. If the licensed health care provider
7determines that the athlete
sustained a concussion or other head
8injury, the athlete shall also complete a graduated return-to-play
9protocol of no less than seven days in duration under the
10supervision of a licensed health care provider.
11(2) If an athlete who is 17 years of age or younger has been
12removed from athletic activity due to a suspected concussion, the
13youth sports organization shall notify a parent or guardian of that
14athlete of the time and date of the injury, the symptoms observed,
15and any treatment provided to that athlete for the injury.
16(3) On a yearly basis, the youth sports organization shall give
17
a concussion and head injury information sheet to each athlete.
18The information sheet shall be signed and returned by the athlete
19and, if the athlete is 17 years of age or younger, shall also be signed
20by the athlete’s parent or guardian, before the athlete initiates
21practice or competition. The information sheet may be sent and
22returned through an electronic medium including, but not
23necessarily limited to, fax or electronic mail.
24(4) On a yearly basis, the youth sports organization shall offer
25concussion and head injury education, or related educational
26materials, or both, to each coach and administrator of the youth
27sports organization.
28(5) Each coach and administrator shall be required to
29successfully complete the concussion and head injury education
30offered
pursuant to paragraph (4) at least once, either online or in
31person, before supervising an athlete in an activity of the youth
32sports organization.
33(6) The youth sports organization shall identify both of the
34following:
35(A) begin deleteAn individual within the organization
who is responsible
36for ensuring compliance by the organization end delete
37complianceend insertbegin insert end insertwith the requirements for providing concussion and
38head injurybegin delete educationend deletebegin insert education and a concussion and head injury
39information sheet, asend insert contained inbegin delete paragraph (4).end deletebegin insert paragraphs (3)
40to (5), inclusive.end insert
P4 1(B) Procedures to ensure compliance with the athlete removal
2provisions and the return-to-play protocol required pursuant to
3paragraph (1).
4(b) As used in this article, all of the following shall apply:
5(1) “Concussion and head injury education and educational
6materials” and a “concussion and head injury information sheet”
7shall, at a minimum, include information relating to all of the
8following:
9(A) Head injuries and their potential consequences.
10(B) The signs and symptoms of a concussion.
11(C) Best practices for removal of an athlete from an athletic
12activity after a suspected concussion.
13(D) Steps for returning an athlete to school and athletic activity
14after a concussion or head injury.
15(2) “Licensed health care provider” means a licensed health
16care provider who is trained in the evaluation and management of
17concussions and is acting within the scope of his or her practice.
18(3) “Youth sports organization” means an organization, business,
19nonprofit entity, or a local governmental agency that sponsors or
20conducts amateur sports competitions, training, camps, or clubs
21in which persons 17 years of age or younger participate in any of
22the following sports:
23(A) Baseball.
24(B) Basketball.
25(C) Bicycle motocross (BMX).
26(D) Boxing.
27(E) Competitive cheerleading.
28(F) Diving.
29(G) Equestrian activities.
30(H) Field hockey.
31(I) Football.
32(J) Full contact martial arts.
33(K) Gymnastics.
34(L) Ice hockey.
35(M) Lacrosse.
36(N) Parkour.
37(O) Rodeo.
38(P) Roller derby.
39(Q) Rugby.
40(R) Skateboarding.
P5 1(S) Skiing.
2(T) Soccer.
3(U) Softball.
4(V) Surfing.
begin insert
5
(W) Swimming.
6(W)
end delete
7
(X) Synchronized swimming.
8begin insert(Y)end insert Volleyball.
9(X)
end delete10begin insert(Z)end insert Water polo.
11(Y)
end delete12begin insert(AA)end insert Wrestling.
13(c) This section shall apply to all persons participating in the
14activities of a youth sports organization, irrespective of their ages.
15This section shall not be construed to prohibit a youth sports
16organization, or any other appropriate entity, from adopting and
17
enforcing rules intended to provide a higher standard of safety for
18athletes than the standard established under this section.
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