New Jersey-2012-S1912-Chaptered

An Act concerning the health of student-athletes, amending P.L.2007, c.125, and supplementing Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes ⁴[and Title 45 of the Revised Statutes]⁴.

Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

1. (New section) Sections 2 through ⁴[7] 4⁴ of this act shall be known and may be cited as the "Scholastic Student-Athlete Safety Act."

2. (New section) a. The board of education of a public school district and the governing board or chief school administrator of a nonpublic school shall require that prior to the participation of any student enrolled in grades six to 12 on a school-sponsored interscholastic or intramural athletic team or squad, the student shall have a ⁴[medical] physical⁴ examination using the "Preparticipation Physical Evaluation" form developed jointly by the American Academy of Family Physicians, American Academy of Pediatrics, American College of Sports Medicine, American Medical Society for Sports Medicine, American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine, and American Osteopathic Academy of Sports Medicine. The Preparticipation Physical Evaluation form shall include the History and Physical Examination components. ⁴The Preparticipation Physical Evaluation form shall also include a certification statement, to be signed by the licensed physician, advanced practice nurse, or physician assistant who performed the physical examination, attesting to the completion of the current professional development module developed pursuant to subsection a. of section 3 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill).⁴

b. The ⁴[medical] physical⁴ examination required by subsection a. of this section shall be conducted within 365 days prior to the first day of official practice in an athletic season and shall be conducted by a licensed physician, advanced practice nurse, or physician assistant. Each student whose ⁴[medical] physical⁴ examination was completed more than 90 days prior to the first day of official practice in an athletic season shall provide a health history update questionnaire, completed and signed by the student's parent or guardian. The completed health history update questionnaire shall be reviewed by the school nurse ¹and, if applicable, the school athletic trainer¹ and shall include information as to whether, in the time period since the date of the student's last preparticipation ⁴[medical] physical⁴ examination, the student has:

(1) been ⁴[medically]⁴ advised ⁴by a licensed physician, advanced practice nurse, or physician assistant⁴ not to participate in a sport;

(2) sustained a concussion, been unconscious or lost memory from a blow to the head;

(3) broken a bone or sprained, strained, or dislocated any muscles or joints;

(4) fainted or blacked out;

(5) experienced chest pains, shortness of breath, or heart racing;

(6) had a recent history of fatigue and unusual tiredness;

(7) been hospitalized, visited an emergency room, or had a significant medical illness;

(8) started or stopped taking any over the counter or prescribed medications; or

(9) had a sudden death in the family, or whether any member of the student's family under the age of 50 has had a heart attack or heart trouble.

c. A board of education of a public school district and the governing board or chief school administrator of a nonpublic school shall not permit a student enrolled in grades six to 12 to participate on a school-sponsored interscholastic or intramural athletic team or squad unless the student has a completed Preparticipation Physical Evaluation form and, if applicable, a completed health history update questionnaire as required by subsections a. and b. of this section.

3. (New section) a. The ²[Commissioner] Commissioners² of Education ²and Health² , in consultation with the New Jersey Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, the New Jersey Academy of Family Physicians, the American Heart Association, and the New Jersey Chapter of the American College of Cardiology, shall develop, by the ¹[2012-2013] 2013-2014¹ school year, a Student-Athlete Cardiac Screening professional development module to increase the assessment skills of those ⁴[medical professionals] health care practitioners⁴ who perform student-athlete ⁴[medical] physical⁴ examinations and screenings. The module shall include, but need not be limited to, the following:

(1) how to complete and review a detailed medical history with an emphasis on cardiovascular family history and personal reports of symptoms;

(2) identifying symptoms of sudden cardiac ⁴[death] arrest⁴ that may require follow up with a cardiologist;

(3) recognizing normal structural changes of the athletic heart;

(4) recognizing prodromal symptoms that precede sudden cardiac ⁴[death] arrest⁴;

(5) performing the cardiovascular physical examination;

(6) reviewing the major etiologies of sudden unexplained cardiac death with an emphasis on structural abnormalities and acquired conditions; and

(7) when to refer a student to a cardiologist for further assessment.

b. The module developed pursuant to subsection a. of this section and the pamphlet developed pursuant to section 1 of P.L.2007, c.125 (C.18A:40-41) shall be posted on the websites of the Department of Education, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the New Jersey Academy of Family Physicians, the American Heart Association, ¹[and]¹ the American College of Cardiology ¹, ²[and]² the Athletic Trainers' Society of New Jersey¹ ², the State Board of Medical Examiners, the New Jersey State Board of Nursing, and the New Jersey State Society of Physician Assistants² .

c. A physician, advanced practice nurse, or physician assistant who performs a student-athlete's annual ⁴[medical] physical⁴ examination prior to the student's participation in a school-sponsored interscholastic or intramural athletic team or squad ⁴as required pursuant to subsection a. of section 2 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill)⁴ shall complete the Student-Athlete Cardiac Screening professional development module developed pursuant to subsection a. of this section. Upon ⁴[completion of the module] performing a physical examination required by subsection a. of section 2 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill)⁴, the physician, advanced practice nurse, or physician assistant shall sign ⁴[and submit a] the certification⁴ statement ⁴on the Preparticipation Physical Evaluation form required pursuant to subsection a. of section 2 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill)⁴ attesting to the completion of the module ⁴[to the Commissioner of Education]⁴. ²The ⁴[commissioner] board of education of a public school district and the governing board or chief school administrator of a nonpublic school⁴ shall retain ³[a copy of a] the original³ signed statement ⁴[until an individual submits a subsequent signed statement upon renewal of a certification, biennial registration, or renewal of a license, as applicable] to attest to the qualification of the health care practitioner to perform the physical examination required by subsection a. of section 2 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill)⁴ .²

⁴[4. (New section) The New Jersey State Board of Nursing shall require that, in addition to any other requirements provided for by law, an applicant for renewal of a certification as an advanced practice nurse who performs preparticipation medical examinations of student-athletes, attest that, in the period since the certification was last renewed, he has completed the Student-Athlete Cardiac Screening professional development module developed pursuant to section 3 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill) and has read the pamphlet developed pursuant to section 1 of P.L.2007, c.125 (C.18A:40-41).]⁴

⁴[5. New section) The State Board of Medical Examiners shall require that a person licensed to practice medicine and surgery and who performs preparticipation medical examinations of student-athletes, as a condition for biennial registration, attest that, in the period since the last biennial registration, he has completed the Student-Athlete Cardiac Screening professional development module developed pursuant to section 3 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill) and has read the pamphlet developed pursuant to section 1 of P.L.2007, c.125 (C.18A:40-41).]⁴

⁴[6. (New section) The State Board of Medical Examiners shall require that, in addition to any other requirements provided for by law, an applicant for renewal of a license as a physician assistant who performs preparticipation medical examinations of student-athletes, attest that, in the period since the license was last renewed, he has completed the Student-Athlete Cardiac Screening professional development module developed pursuant to section 3 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill) and has read the pamphlet developed pursuant to section 1 of P.L.2007, c.125 (C.18A:40-41).]⁴

⁴[7.] 4.⁴(New section) A contract between a school district and a school physician appointed pursuant to N.J.S.18A:40-1 shall include a statement of assurance that the school physician has completed the Student-Athlete Cardiac Screening professional development module developed pursuant to section 3 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill) and has read the pamphlet developed pursuant to section 1 of P.L.2007, c.125 (C.18A:40-41).

⁴[8.] 5.⁴ Section 1 of P.L.2007, c.125 (C.18A:40-41) is amended to read as follows:

1. a. The Commissioner of Education, in consultation with the Commissioner of Health ¹[and Senior Services]¹, the American Heart Association, and the American Academy of Pediatrics, shall develop a pamphlet that provides information about sudden cardiac ⁴[death] arrest⁴ to student-athletes and the parents or guardians of student athletes. The pamphlet shall include an explanation of sudden cardiac ⁴[death] arrest⁴, its incidence among student athletes, a description of early warning signs, and an overview of the options that are privately available to screen for cardiac conditions that may lead to sudden cardiac ⁴[death] arrest⁴, including a statement about the limitations of these options.

b. The commissioner shall distribute the pamphlet, at no charge, to all school districts in the State. The commissioner shall update the pamphlet as necessary, and shall make additional copies available to nonpublic schools upon request.

c. In the 2007-2008 through the ¹[2011-2012] 2012-2013¹ school [year and in each school year thereafter] years, each school district shall distribute the pamphlet to the parents or guardians of students participating in school sports.

d. In the ¹[2012-2013] 2013-2014¹ school year and in each subsequent school year, a school district shall distribute the pamphlet to each student-athlete and to the parents or guardians of student-athletes, as part of the student's preparticipation ⁴[medical] physical⁴ examination and completion of athletic permission forms. A student-athlete and the parent or guardian of the student-athlete shall certify in writing that they received and reviewed the pamphlet.

(cf: P.L.2012, c.17, s.80)

⁴[9.] 6.⁴ (New section) The State Board of Education shall promulgate regulations pursuant to the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), necessary to effectuate the provisions of this act.

⁴[10.] 7.⁴ This act shall take effect on the first day of the fourth month next following the date of enactment, but the State Board of Education may take such anticipatory administrative action in advance thereof as shall be necessary for the implementation of this act.

"Scholastic Student-Athlete Safety Act;" establishes measures to ensure health of student-athletes.