BILL ANALYSIS Ó
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|SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | AB 2007|
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THIRD READING
Bill No: AB 2007
Author: McCarty (D)
Amended: 8/3/16 in Senate
Vote: 21
SENATE HEALTH COMMITTEE: 8-0, 6/29/16
AYES: Hernandez, Nguyen, Hall, Mitchell, Monning, Nielsen,
Pan, Roth
NO VOTE RECORDED: Wolk
ASSEMBLY FLOOR: 56-19, 5/31/16 - See last page for vote
SUBJECT: Youth athletics: youth sports organizations:
concussions or other head injuries
SOURCE: California Athletic Trainers' Association
DIGEST: This bill establishes requirements for youth sports
organizations to remove an athlete who is suspected of
sustaining a concussion or other head injury until he or she is
evaluated and cleared by a licensed health care provider.
Senate Floor Amendments of 8/3/16 require the youth sports
organization to identify procedures to ensure compliance and a
concussion and head injury information sheet, as specified, and
add swimming and synchronized swimming as sports subject to the
bill.
ANALYSIS: Existing law requires, a school district, charter
school, or private school that elects to offer an athletic
program, to comply with the following.
1)Require an athlete who is suspected of sustaining a concussion
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or head injury in an athletic activity to be immediately
removed from the athletic activity for the remainder of the
day, and not permitted to return to the athletic activity
until he or she is evaluated by a licensed health care
provider who is trained in the management of concussions and
is acting within the scope of his or her practice. Prohibit
the athlete from returning to the athletic activity until he
or she receives written clearance to return to the athletic
activity from that licensed health care provider.
2)Require, if the licensed health care provider determines that
the athlete sustained a concussion or a head injury, the
athlete to 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.
3)Urges the California Interscholastic Federation is urged to
work in consultation with the American Academy of Pediatrics
and the American Medical Society for Sports Medicine to
develop and adopt rules and protocols to implement 2) above.
4)Require, on a yearly basis, a concussion and head injury
information sheet to be signed and returned by the athlete and
the athlete's parent or guardian before the athlete initiates
practice or competition.
5)Exempts an athlete engaging in an athletic activity during the
regular schoolday or as part of a physical education course,
as specified.
This bill:
1)Requires a youth sports organization that elects to offer an
athletic program to comply similar requirements as schools,
and:
a) Require 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 to 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;
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b) Require on a yearly basis, the youth sports organization
to give a concussion and head injury information sheet to
each athlete;
c) Require the information sheet to be signed and returned
by the athlete and, if the athlete is 17 years of age or
younger, to also be signed by the athlete's parent or
guardian, before the athlete initiates practice or
competition;
d) Permit the information sheet to be sent and returned
through an electronic medium including, but not necessarily
limited to, fax or electronic mail;
e) Require each coach and administrator to be required to
successfully complete the concussion and head injury
education offered pursuant to i) below at least once,
either online or in person, before supervising an athlete
in an activity of the youth sports organization;
f) Require on a yearly basis, the youth sports organization
to offer concussion and head injury education, or related
educational materials, or both, to each coach and
administrator of the youth sports organization; and,
g) Require the youth sports organization to identify both
of the following:
i) Procedures to ensure compliance for providing
concussion and head injury education and a concussion and
head injury information sheet, as contained in paragraphs
b) through f) above; and,
ii) Procedures to ensure compliance with the athlete
removal provisions and the return-to-play protocol
required pursuant to paragraph a-c) above.
2)Defines a "youth sports organization" as 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
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younger participate in any of the 27 listed sports.
3)Applies to all persons participating in the activities of a
youth sports organization, irrespective of their ages.
Prohibits anything in this bill from being 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 bill.
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Comments
1)Author's statement. According to the author, sports related
injuries have become a growing concern in today's society.
Research shows that sports related injuries are not always
immediately visible or evident, but may manifest in the future
with extremely negative effects on the athlete's health.
Studies in the cumulative effects of concussion in young
athletes show that even a mild concussion can result in
serious long-term problems, especially if an athlete was
returned to play too early, or has a history of concussions or
other head injuries. The Legislature has already addressed
concussion protocol in school sports, but more kids play
sports in a community based setting, and with this legislation
the author hopes to establish a proper protocol for concussion
detections, treatment, and post-concussion management for
youth sports leagues.
2)CDC. The CDC has information including training videos and
fact sheets that are designed specifically for coaches, which
can be found at
http://www.cdc.gov/headsup/youthsports/coach.html The
following is from a CDC fact sheet:
Concussion, a type of traumatic brain injury, is caused by
a bump, blow, or jolt to the head. Concussions can also
occur from a blow to the body that causes the head and
brain to move rapidly back and forth-literally causing the
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brain to bounce around or twist within the skull. This
sudden movement of the brain causes stretching and tearing
of brain cells, damaging the cells and creating chemical
changes in the brain.
Sometimes people wrongly believe that it shows strength and
courage to play injured. Some athletes may also try to hide
their symptoms. Do not let your athlete convince you that
he or she is "just fine" or that he or she can "tough it
out." Discourage others from pressuring injured athletes to
play. Emphasize to athletes and parents that playing with a
concussion is dangerous. Most athletes with a concussion
will recover quickly and fully. But for some athletes,
signs and symptoms of concussion can last for days, weeks,
or longer. If an athlete has a concussion, his or her brain
needs time to heal. A repeat concussion that occurs before
the brain recovers from the first-usually within a short
time period (hours, days, weeks)-can slow recovery or
increase the chances for long-term problems. In rare cases,
repeat concussions can result in brain swelling or
permanent brain damage. It can even be fatal.
3)Concussions and brain injuries in youth sports. One study
published in December 2015 in the Rhode Island Medical Journal
provided by the author, indicates that about 1.6-3.8 million
sports-related concussions occur every year. Symptoms may
appear mild but the injury can lead to life-long problems with
physical function, concentration, memory, behavior, and
emotional issues. Most concussions resolve within 7-10 days
but the recovery process can be longer and more complicated in
children and adolescents. Athletes with concussions are
vulnerable to the second-impact syndrome where ongoing
symptoms lead to another injury. Young athletes experience a
complex recovery process after concussions. Recurrent
concussions are especially destructive to the brain and are
more likely during the first ten days after a concussion. It
is recommended waiting at least seven days until return to
play. The article indicates that education does reduce
injuries. Among three groupings of coaches with none to
varying levels of education about concussions, concussions in
youth football players were lower in the group with the
highest level injury prevention education compared to the
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non-educated cohort.
4)Concerns. CSAC Excess Insurance Authority (CSAC EIA)
expresses concern about this bill indicating that an onus will
be placed on youth sports organizations for recordkeeping and
removal of athletes from activities when suspected of having a
concussion. Youth sport organizations do not have the
resources to evaluate a youth athlete for concussion. Coaches
are volunteer parents from the community. CSAC EIA is
concerned people will not want to volunteer as coaches and the
bill would potentially create a basis for liability if a youth
sports organization does not distribute and/or obtain a
parent's signature on the information sheet.
FISCAL EFFECT: Appropriation: No Fiscal
Com.:NoLocal: No
SUPPORT: (Verified 8/1/16)
American Academy of Pediatrics
American Medical Society for Sports Medicine
Brain Injury Association of California
California Athletic Trainers' Association
California Coalition for Children's Safety
California State PTA
California School Nurses Organization
Child Abuse Prevention Center
University of California, San Francisco's PlaySafe Program
One individual
OPPOSITION: (Verified 8/1/16)
None received
ARGUMENTS IN SUPPORT: The Brain Injury Association of
California writes that young athletes experiencing head injuries
are at greater risk of long-term brain damage if injured during
the critical stages of brain development. From 2002 to 2012 the
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number of reported sports-related concussions among student
athletes doubled. The increase is attributed to many factors
including greater awareness and recognition of traumatic brain
injuries. However, research also shows that it is likely that
self-reported concussion symptoms are under diagnosed, which may
lead to premature return to play. The California PTA supports
this bill because research shows even mild concussions can have
long-term negative consequences if not treated properly. The
California School Nurses Organization believes extending the
protections in this bill are necessary for those engaged in not
only K-12 sports activities but those engaged in other organized
sports activities.
ASSEMBLY FLOOR: 56-19, 5/31/16
AYES: Achadjian, Alejo, Arambula, Atkins, Baker, Bloom,
Bonilla, Bonta, Brown, Burke, Calderon, Campos, Chau, Chiu,
Chu, Cooley, Cooper, Dababneh, Daly, Dodd, Eggman, Frazier,
Cristina Garcia, Eduardo Garcia, Gatto, Gipson, Gomez,
Gonzalez, Gordon, Gray, Roger Hernández, Holden, Irwin,
Jones-Sawyer, Lackey, Levine, Lopez, Low, Maienschein,
McCarty, Medina, Mullin, Nazarian, O'Donnell, Quirk,
Ridley-Thomas, Rodriguez, Salas, Santiago, Mark Stone,
Thurmond, Ting, Weber, Williams, Wood, Rendon
NOES: Travis Allen, Brough, Chávez, Beth Gaines, Gallagher,
Grove, Hadley, Harper, Jones, Kim, Linder, Mathis, Mayes,
Obernolte, Olsen, Steinorth, Wagner, Waldron, Wilk
NO VOTE RECORDED: Bigelow, Chang, Dahle, Melendez, Patterson
Prepared by:Teri Boughton / HEALTH / (916) 651-4111
8/8/16 10:20:50
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