Bill Text: CA AB2007 | 2015-2016 | Regular Session | Amended

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft

---

Bill Title: Youth athletics: youth sports organizations: concussions or other head injuries.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Passed) 2016-09-23 - Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 516, Statutes of 2016. [AB2007 Detail]

Download: California-2015-AB2007-Amended.html

---

BILL NUMBER: AB 2007	AMENDED
	BILL TEXT

	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  MAY 27, 2016
	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  APRIL 26, 2016

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 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, but
not necessarily limited to, a business or nonprofit entity or a
  include organizations, businesses, nonprofit entities,
or  local governmental  agency,   agencies
 that sponsor or conduct amateur  athletic 
 sports  competitions,  training,  camps, or
 clubs.   clubs in which persons 17 years of age
or younger participate in any of 2   5 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
 give   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   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
 organizations   organization  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   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:

  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 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  the   any
 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
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
 give   offer  concussion and head injury
education, or  related  educational materials, or both, to
each coach and administrator of the youth sports organization. 
Each coach and administrator shall be required to successfully
complete the concussion and head injury education offered pursuant to
this paragraph at least once, either online or in person, before
supervising an athlete in an activity of the youth sports
organization. 
   (5) The youth sports organization shall identify both of the
following:
   (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).
   (B)  Details of   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  section,   article, all
of  the following  terms have the following meanings:
  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, 
which may include, but is not necessarily limited to, a business or
nonprofit entity or   business, nonprofit entity, 
 or  a local governmental  agency,  
agency  that sponsors or conducts amateur  athletic
competitions,   sports competitions, training, 
camps, or clubs in which persons 17 years of age or younger 
participate.   participate in any of the following
sports:  
   (A) Baseball.  
   (B) Basketball.  
   (C) Bicycle motocross (BMX).  
   (D) Boxing.  
   (E) Competitive cheerleading.  
   (F) Contact martial arts. 
   (G) Diving.  
   (H) Equestrian activities.  
   (I) Field hockey.  
   (J) Football.  
   (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) Volleyball.  
   (X) Water polo.  
   (Y) 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.