Florida Senate - 2012                              CS for SB 256
       
       
       
       By the Committee on Budget Subcommittee on Education Pre-K - 12
       Appropriations; and Senator Flores
       
       
       
       602-02667-12                                           2012256c1
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to youth and student athletes;
    3         amending s. 943.0438, F.S.; requiring independent
    4         sanctioning authorities to adopt policies to inform
    5         certain officials, coaches, and youth athletes and
    6         their parents of the nature and risk of certain head
    7         injuries; requiring that a signed consent form be
    8         obtained before the youth participates in athletic
    9         practices or competitions; requiring that a youth
   10         athlete be immediately removed from an athletic
   11         activity following a suspected head injury; requiring
   12         written clearance from an appropriately licensed and
   13         trained physician who is qualified in the field of
   14         neurology before the youth resumes athletic
   15         activities; amending s. 1006.20, F.S.; requiring the
   16         Florida High School Athletic Association to adopt
   17         policies to inform certain officials, coaches, and
   18         student athletes and their parents of the nature and
   19         risk of certain head injuries; requiring that a signed
   20         consent form be obtained before a student athlete
   21         participates in athletic practices or competitions;
   22         requiring that a student athlete be immediately
   23         removed from an athletic activity following a
   24         suspected head injury; requiring written clearance
   25         from an appropriately licensed and trained physician
   26         who is qualified in the field of neurology before the
   27         student resumes athletic activities; providing an
   28         effective date.
   29  
   30  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   31  
   32         Section 1. Paragraph (e) is added to subsection (2) of
   33  section 943.0438, Florida Statutes, to read:
   34         943.0438 Athletic coaches for independent sanctioning
   35  authorities.—
   36         (2) An independent sanctioning authority shall:
   37         (e)1.Adopt guidelines to educate officials,
   38  administrators, athletic coaches, and youth athletes and their
   39  parents or guardians of the nature and risk of concussion and
   40  head injury.
   41         2.Adopt bylaws or policies that require the parent or
   42  guardian of a minor who participates in athletic practices or
   43  competitions of the independent sanctioning authority, before
   44  the minor participates in a competition, practice, or other
   45  activity, to sign and return a consent form that explains the
   46  nature and risk of concussion and head injury, including the
   47  risk of continuing to play after a concussion or head injury has
   48  occurred.
   49         3.Adopt bylaws or policies that:
   50         a. Require a youth athlete who is suspected of sustaining a
   51  concussion or head injury in a practice or competition to be
   52  immediately removed from the activity; and
   53         b. Provide that a youth athlete who has been removed may
   54  not return to practice or competition until the youth receives
   55  written clearance to return from an appropriately licensed and
   56  trained physician who is qualified in the field of neurology.
   57         Section 2. Paragraphs (e), (f), and (g) are added to
   58  subsection (2) of section 1006.20, Florida Statutes, to read:
   59         1006.20 Athletics in public K-12 schools.—
   60         (2) ADOPTION OF BYLAWS.—
   61         (e) The organization shall adopt guidelines to educate
   62  officials, administrators, coaches, and student athletes and
   63  their parents or guardians of the nature and risk of concussion
   64  and head injury.
   65         (f) The organization shall adopt bylaws or policies that
   66  require the parent or guardian of a student who participates in
   67  interscholastic athletic competition or who is a candidate for
   68  an interscholastic athletic team, before the student
   69  participates in a competition, practice, or other activity, to
   70  annually sign and return a consent form that explains the nature
   71  and risk of concussion and head injury, including the risk of
   72  continuing to play after a concussion or head injury has
   73  occurred.
   74         (g) The organization shall adopt bylaws or policies that:
   75         1. Require a student athlete who is suspected of sustaining
   76  a concussion or head injury in a practice or competition to be
   77  immediately removed from the activity; and
   78         2. Provide that a student athlete who has been removed may
   79  not return to practice or competition until the student receives
   80  written clearance to return from an appropriately licensed and
   81  trained physician who is qualified in the field of neurology.
   82         Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2012.