Bill Text: FL H0301 | 2011 | Regular Session | Comm Sub

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

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Bill Title: Youth Athletes

Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Republican 9-3-2)

Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2011-05-07 - Indefinitely postponed and withdrawn from consideration [H0301 Detail]

Download: Florida-2011-H0301-Comm_Sub.html

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CS/CS/HB 301

1	A bill to be entitled
2	An act relating to youth athletes; amending ss. 943.0438
3	and 1006.20, F.S.; requiring an independent sanctioning
4	authority for youth athletic teams and the Florida High
5	School Athletic Association to adopt guidelines, bylaws,
6	and policies relating to the nature and risk of concussion
7	and head injury in youth athletes; requiring informed
8	consent for participation in practice or competition;
9	requiring removal from practice or competition under
10	certain circumstances and written clearance to return;
11	providing an effective date.
12
13	Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
14
15	Section 1.  Paragraphs (e), (f), and (g) are added to
16	subsection (2) of section 943.0438, Florida Statutes, to read:
17	943.0438  Athletic coaches for independent sanctioning
18	authorities.-
19	(2)  An independent sanctioning authority shall:
20	(e)  Adopt guidelines to educate athletic coaches,
21	officials, administrators, youth athletes, and their parents or
22	guardians of the nature and risk of concussion and head injury.
23	(f)  Adopt bylaws or policies that require the parent or
24	guardian of a youth participating in athletic competition or who
25	is a candidate for an athletic team to sign and return an
26	informed consent that explains the nature and risk of concussion
27	and head injury, including the risk of continuing to play after
28	concussion or head injury, each year before participating in
29	athletic competition or engaging in any practice, tryout,
30	workout, or other physical activity associated with the
31	student's candidacy for an athletic team.
32	(g)  Adopt bylaws or policies that require each youth
33	athlete who is suspected of sustaining a concussion or head
34	injury in a practice or competition to be removed from practice
35	or competition at that time. A youth athlete who has been
36	removed from practice or competition may not return to practice
37	or competition until the youth receives written clearance to
38	return from a physician licensed under chapter 458, chapter 459,
39	or chapter 460, based upon the Acute Concussion Evaluation
40	(ACE), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National
41	Center for Injury Prevention and Control "Heads Up" Program.
42	Prior to issuing a written clearance to play, a physician may:
43	1.  Delegate the performance of medical acts to a health
44	care provider licensed or certified under s. 458.347, s.
45	459.022, s. 464.012, or s. 468.707 with whom the physician
46	maintains a formal supervisory relationship or an established
47	written protocol that identifies the medical acts or evaluations
48	to be performed and conditions for their performance and that
49	attests to proficiency in the evaluation and management of
50	concussions.
51	2.  Consult with, or utilize testing and evaluation of
52	cognitive functions performed by, a neuropsychologist licensed
53	under chapter 490.
54	Section 2.  Paragraphs (e), (f), and (g) are added to
55	subsection (2) of section 1006.20, Florida Statutes, to read:
56	1006.20  Athletics in public K-12 schools.-
57	(2)  ADOPTION OF BYLAWS.-
58	(e)  The organization shall adopt guidelines to educate
59	athletic coaches, officials, administrators, student athletes,
60	and their parents of the nature and risk of concussion and head
61	injury.
62	(f)  The organization shall adopt bylaws or policies that
63	require the parent of a student who is participating in
64	interscholastic athletic competition or who is a candidate for
65	an interscholastic athletic team to sign and return an informed
66	consent that explains the nature and risk of concussion and head
67	injury, including the risk of continuing to play after
68	concussion or head injury, each year before participating in
69	interscholastic athletic competition or engaging in any
70	practice, tryout, workout, or other physical activity associated
71	with the student's candidacy for an interscholastic athletic
72	team.
73	(g)  The organization shall adopt bylaws or policies that
74	require each student athlete who is suspected of sustaining a
75	concussion or head injury in a practice or competition to be
76	removed from practice or competition at that time. A student
77	athlete who has been removed from practice or competition may
78	not return to practice or competition until the student receives
79	written clearance to return from a physician licensed under
80	chapter 458, chapter 459, or chapter 460, based upon the Acute
81	Concussion Evaluation (ACE), Centers for Disease Control and
82	Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control
83	"Heads Up" Program. Prior to issuing a written clearance to
84	return to play, a physician may:
85	1.  Delegate the performance of medical acts to a health
86	care practitioner licensed or certified under s. 458.347, s.
87	459.022, s. 464.012, or s. 468.707 with whom the physician
88	maintains a formal supervisory relationship or an established
89	written protocol that identifies the medical acts or evaluations
90	to be performed and conditions for their performance and that
91	attests to proficiency in the evaluation and management of
92	concussions.
93	2.  Consult with, or utilize testing and evaluation of
94	cognitive functions performed by, a neuropsychologist licensed
95	under chapter 490.
96	Section 3.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2011.

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.