Bill Text: NJ SR74 | 2010-2011 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Urges school districts to implement a baseline cognitive testing program to assist in measuring the post-injury condition of a student athlete or cheerleader who has sustained a concussion.*
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2011-12-15 - Passed by the Senate (Voice) [SR74 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2010-SR74-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Senator RICHARD J. CODEY
District 27 (Essex)
SYNOPSIS
Urges school districts to implement a baseline cognitive testing program to assist in measuring the post-injury condition of a student-athlete who has sustained a concussion.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
A senate resolution urging school districts to implement a baseline cognitive testing program for student-athletes.
Whereas, A baseline or pre-season cognitive test is a pre-injury measurement of an athlete's cognitive function; and
Whereas, In the United States, the annual incidence of sports-related concussions is estimated at 300,000, and the likelihood of an athlete who participates in a contact sport experiencing a concussion may be as high as 19% per season; and
Whereas, Although the majority of athletes who experience a concussion are likely to recover, many of these individuals may experience "Post-Concussion Syndrome," which is a multitude of chronic cognitive and neurobehavioral difficulties related to recurrent injury; and
Whereas, Additionally, suffering a second blow to the head while recovering from an initial concussion can have catastrophic consequences, and has led to approximately 30 to 40 deaths over the past decade; and
Whereas, Such difficulties can be prevented if the athlete is allowed time to recover from the concussion and the decision to allow the athlete to return to athletic activity is carefully made; and
Whereas, Baseline cognitive testing programs, such as the Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing (ImPACT) program, are specifically designed for the management of sports-related concussions, and assist physicians and athletic trainers in making the decision about whether to allow a student-athlete to return to athletic activity after suffering a concussion by providing an objective measurement with which to compare the student-athlete's cognitive functioning; and
Whereas, A baseline cognitive testing program measures multiple aspects of cognitive functioning in athletes, including attention span, working memory, sustained and selective attention time, response variability, non-verbal problem solving, and reaction time; and
Whereas, In order to ensure the safety of student-athletes, it is imperative that school districts implement a baseline cognitive testing program to guarantee that necessary precautions are taken to prevent further injury to those student-athletes who have sustained a concussion; now, therefore,
Be It Resolved by the Senate of the State of New Jersey:
1. This House urges school districts to implement a baseline cognitive testing program for student-athletes prior to the commencement of the athletic season to assist in measuring the post-injury condition of a student-athlete who has sustained a concussion in order to enhance and ensure their safety.
2. Duly authenticated copies of this resolution, signed by the President of the Senate and attested by the Secretary thereof, shall be transmitted to the State Board of Education, which is urged to distribute to each school district information concerning baseline cognitive testing programs.
STATEMENT
This Senate resolution urges school districts to implement a baseline cognitive testing program for student-athletes prior to the commencement of the athletic season to assist in measuring the post-injury condition of a student-athlete who has sustained a concussion. A baseline or pre-season cognitive test is a pre-injury measurement of an athlete's cognitive function and it provides an objective measurement of an athlete's cognitive function post-injury.
Athletes who are not fully recovered from an initial concussion are significantly more likely to suffer a subsequent concussion and to experience catastrophic consequences in the event of a second concussive injury. In order to ensure the safety of student-athletes, it is imperative that school districts implement a baseline cognitive testing program to guarantee that necessary precautions are taken to prevent further injury to those student-athletes who have sustained a concussion.
