AB 2007, 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 of 27 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 identify procedures for ensuring compliance with the bill’s requirements for providing concussion and head injury education and a concussion and head injury information sheet. 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.
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
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:
(a) A youth sports organization that elects to offer an athletic program shall comply with all of the following:
(1) An athlete who is suspected of sustaining a concussion or other 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 any athletic activity until he or she is evaluated by a licensed health care provider. The athlete shall not be permitted to return to athletic activity until he or she receives written clearance to return to athletic activity from a licensed health care provider. If the licensed health care provider determines that the athlete sustained a concussion or other 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.
(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.
(3) On a yearly basis, the youth sports organization shall give a concussion and head injury information sheet to each athlete. The information sheet shall be signed and returned by the athlete and, if the athlete is 17 years of age or younger, shall also be signed by the athlete’s parent or guardian, before the athlete initiates practice or competition. The information sheet may be sent and returned through an electronic medium including, but not necessarily limited to, fax or electronic mail.
(4) On a yearly basis, the youth sports organization shall offer concussion and head injury education, or related educational materials, or both, to each coach and administrator of the youth sports organization.
(5) Each coach and administrator shall be required to successfully complete the concussion and head injury education offered pursuant to paragraph (4) at least once, either online or in person, before supervising an athlete in an activity of the youth sports organization.
(6) The youth sports organization shall identify both of the following:
(A) Procedures to ensure compliance with the requirements for providing concussion and head injury education and a concussion and head injury information sheet, as contained in paragraphs (3) to (5), inclusive.
(B) Procedures to ensure compliance with the athlete removal provisions and the return-to-play protocol required pursuant to paragraph (1).
(b) As used in this article, all of the following shall apply:
(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:
(A) Head injuries and their potential consequences.
(B) The signs and symptoms of a concussion.
(C) Best practices for removal of an athlete from an athletic activity after a suspected concussion.
(D) Steps for returning an athlete to school and athletic activity after a concussion or head injury.
(2) “Licensed health care provider” means a licensed health care provider who is trained in the evaluation and management of concussions and is acting within the scope of his or her practice.
(3) “Youth sports organization” means an organization, business, nonprofit entity, or a local governmental agency that sponsors or conducts amateur sports competitions, training, camps, or clubs in which persons 17 years of age or younger participate in any of the following sports:
(A) Baseball.
(B) Basketball.
(C) Bicycle motocross (BMX).
(D) Boxing.
(E) Competitive cheerleading.
(F) Diving.
(G) Equestrian activities.
(H) Field hockey.
(I) Football.
(J) Full contact martial arts.
(K) Gymnastics.
(L) Ice hockey.
(M) Lacrosse.
(N) Parkour.
(O) Rodeo.
(P) Roller derby.
(Q) Rugby.
(R) Skateboarding.
(S) Skiing.
(T) Soccer.
(U) Softball.
(V) Surfing.
(W) Swimming.
(X) Synchronized swimming.
(Y) Volleyball.
(Z) Water polo.
(AA) Wrestling.
(c) This section shall apply to all persons participating in the activities of a youth sports organization, irrespective of their ages. This section shall not be construed to prohibit a youth sports organization, 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.
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