AB 2182, as introduced, Mullin. School athletics: neurocognitive testing.
(1) 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 initiates practice or competition.
Existing law further provides that, if a licensed health care provider determines that the athlete sustained a concussion or a head injury, the athlete is required to complete a graduated return-to-play protocol of no less than 7 days in duration under the supervision of a licensed health care provider.
This bill would express legislative findings and declarations relating to concussions or traumatic injuries sustained by pupils participating in high school interscholastic athletics and the value of neurocognitive testing.
The bill would require a school district, charter school, or private school that offers an athletic program to provide neurocognitive testing, as defined, for pupils who participate in interscholastic athletics. The bill would require this testing to take place at the beginning of an athletic season before any competitions have taken place and after any head injury.
The bill would require a school district, charter school, or private school that offers an athletic program to collect and maintain data on traumatic brain injuries and concussions sustained by any of its pupils during an athletic competition. The bill would require that this data be reported periodically to the appropriate county office of education and would require the county office of education to compile and retain the data for summary and analysis. By imposing new duties on county offices of education, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program.
(2) The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.
This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to these statutory provisions.
Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: yes.
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
The Legislature finds and declares all of the
2following:
3(a) The California Interscholastic Federation (CIF), California’s
4governing body for high school sports, requires that if it is
5suspected that a pupil has sustained a concussion or traumatic brain
6injury in an athletic competition the pupil must be removed from
7competition immediately and required to receive written clearance
8from a physician before returning to competition.
9(b) Section 49475 of the Education Code, as it was amended
10by Assembly Bill 2127 of the 2013-14 Regular Session of the
11Legislature effective January 1, 2015, provides that a pupil athlete
P3 1who has been diagnosed with a concussion cannot return to
play
2sooner than seven days after having been evaluated and diagnosed
3by a physician.
4(c) The value of neurocognitive testing is that it establishes a
5baseline of each athlete’s normal neurocognitive functioning before
6beginning athletic activity. By establishing this baseline, an athlete
7with a suspected head injury can then be retested to help assess
8the degree of injury.
9(d) Following any kind of head injury, athletes retake the test
10and have the results judged against the baseline test. This is
11especially important when an athlete experiences numerous hits
12to the head.
Section 49475 of the Education Code is amended to
14read:
(a) If a school district, charter school, or private school
16elects to offer an athletic program, the school district, charter
17school, or private school shall comply withbegin delete bothend deletebegin insert allend insert of the
18following:
19(1) The school district, charter school, or private school to
20which this section is applicable shall provide neurocognitive testing
21for pupils who participate in interscholastic athletics. This testing
22shall take place at the beginning of an athletic season before any
23competitions have taken place and
after any head injury.
24(1)
end delete
25begin insert(end insertbegin insert2)end insert begin insert(A)end insertbegin insert end insert An athlete who is suspected of sustaining a concussion
26or head injury in an athletic activity shall be immediately removed
27from the athletic activity for the remainder of the day, and shall
28not be permitted to return to the athletic activity until he or she is
29evaluated by a
licensed health care provider. The athlete shall not
30be permitted to return to the athletic activity until he or she receives
31written clearance to return to the athletic activity from a licensed
32health care provider. If the licensed health care provider determines
33that the athlete sustained a concussion or a head injury, the athlete
34shall also complete a graduated return-to-play protocol of no less
35than seven days in duration under the supervision of a licensed
36health care provider. The California Interscholastic Federation is
37urged to work in consultation with the American Academy of
38Pediatrics and the American Medical Society for Sports Medicine
39to develop and adopt rules and protocols to implement this
40paragraph.
P4 1(B) A school district, charter school, or private school to which
2this section is applicable shall collect and maintain data on
3traumatic brain
injuries and concussions sustained by any of its
4pupils during an athletic competition. This data shall be reported
5periodically to the appropriate county office of education, but the
6names of the injured pupils shall be kept confidential. The county
7office of education shall compile and retain the data for summary
8and analysis.
9(2)
end delete
10begin insert(end insertbegin insert3)end insert On a yearly basis, a concussion and head injury information
11sheet shall be signed and returned by the athlete and the athlete’s
12parent or guardian before the athlete initiates practice or
13competition.
14(b) As used in thisbegin delete section, “licensedend deletebegin insert
section, the following terms
15have the following meanings:end insert
16begin insert(1)end insertbegin insert end insertbegin insert“end insertbegin insertLicensedend insert health care provider” means a licensed health
17care provider who is trained in the management of concussions
18and is acting within the scope of his or her practice.
19(2) “Neurocognitive testing”
means a comprehensive evaluation
20of a person’s cognitive status by specific neurologic domains,
21including, but not necessarily limited to, memory, attention,
22problem solving, language, visuospacial, processing speed, motor,
23and emotion.
24(c) This section does not apply to an athlete engaging in an
25athletic activity during the regular schoolday or as part of a physical
26education course required pursuant to subdivision (d) of Section
2751220.
If the Commission on State Mandates determines that
29this act contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement to
30local agencies and school districts for those costs shall be made
31pursuant to Part 7 (commencing with Section 17500) of Division
324 of Title 2 of the Government Code.
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