Florida Senate - 2011 CS for SB 730
By the Committee on Education Pre-K - 12; and Senators Flores,
Altman, Sobel, Rich, and Montford
581-02627-11 2011730c1
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 youth athletes and their parents of the nature and
6 risk of certain head injuries; requiring that a signed
7 consent form be obtained before the youth participates
8 in athletic practices or competitions; requiring that
9 a youth athlete be immediately removed from an
10 athletic activity following a suspected head injury;
11 requiring written clearance from a medical
12 professional before the youth resumes athletic
13 activities; authorizing a physician to delegate the
14 performance of medical care to certain licensed or
15 certified health care providers and consult with or
16 use testing and the evaluation of cognitive functions
17 performed by a licensed neuropsychologist; amending s.
18 1006.20, F.S.; requiring the Florida High School
19 Athletic Association to adopt policies to inform
20 student athletes and their parents of the nature and
21 risk of certain head injuries; requiring that a signed
22 consent form be obtained before a student athlete
23 participates in athletic practices or competitions;
24 requiring that a student athlete be immediately
25 removed from an athletic activity following a
26 suspected head injury; requiring written clearance
27 from a medical professional before the student resumes
28 athletic activities; authorizing a physician to
29 delegate the performance of medical care to certain
30 licensed or certified health care practitioner and
31 consult with or use testing and the evaluation of
32 cognitive functions performed by a licensed
33 neuropsychologist; providing an effective date.
34
35 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
36
37 Section 1. Paragraph (e) is added to subsection (2) of
38 section 943.0438, Florida Statutes, to read:
39 943.0438 Athletic coaches for independent sanctioning
40 authorities.—
41 (2) An independent sanctioning authority shall:
42 (e)1. Adopt guidelines to educate officials,
43 administrators, athletic coaches, and youth athletes and their
44 parents or guardians of the nature and risk of concussion and
45 head injury.
46 2. Adopt bylaws or policies that require the parent or
47 guardian of a minor who participates in athletic practices or
48 competitions of the independent sanctioning authority, before
49 the minor participates in a competition, practice, or other
50 activity, to sign and return a consent form that explains the
51 nature and risk of concussion and head injury, including the
52 risk of continuing to play after a concussion or head injury has
53 occurred.
54 3. Adopt bylaws or policies that require youth athletes who
55 are suspected of sustaining a concussion or head injury in a
56 practice or competition to be immediately removed from the
57 activity. A youth athlete who has been removed may not return to
58 practice or competition until the youth receives written
59 clearance to return from a physician who is licensed under
60 chapter 458 or chapter 459. Before issuing a written clearance
61 to return to practice or competition, a physician may:
62 a. Delegate the performance of medical care to a health
63 care provider who is licensed or certified under s. 464.012, s.
64 458.347, s. 459.022, or s. 468.701, with whom the physician
65 maintains a formal supervisory relationship or established
66 written protocol that identifies the medical care or evaluations
67 to be performed, identifies conditions for performing medical
68 care or evaluations, and attests to proficiency in the
69 evaluation and management of concussions; and
70 b. Consult with or use testing and the evaluation of
71 cognitive functions performed by a neuropsychologist licensed
72 under chapter 490.
73 Section 2. Paragraphs (e), (f), and (g) are added to
74 subsection (2) of section 1006.20, Florida Statutes, to read:
75 1006.20 Athletics in public K-12 schools.—
76 (2) ADOPTION OF BYLAWS.—
77 (e) The organization shall adopt guidelines to educate
78 officials, administrators, coaches, and student athletes and
79 their parents or guardians of the nature and risk of concussion
80 and head injury.
81 (f) The organization shall adopt bylaws or policies that
82 require the parent or guardian of a student who participates in
83 interscholastic athletic competition or who is a candidate for
84 an interscholastic athletic team, before the student
85 participates in a competition, practice, or other activity, to
86 annually sign and return a consent form that explains the nature
87 and risk of concussion and head injury, including the risk of
88 continuing to play after a concussion or head injury has
89 occurred.
90 (g) The organization shall adopt bylaws or policies that
91 require student athletes who are suspected of sustaining a
92 concussion or head injury in a practice or competition to be
93 immediately removed from the activity. A student athlete who has
94 been removed may not return to practice or competition until the
95 student receives written clearance to return from a physician
96 who is licensed under chapter 458 or chapter 459. Before issuing
97 a written clearance to return to practice or competition, a
98 physician may:
99 1. Delegate the performance of medical care to a health
100 care practitioner who is licensed or certified under s. 464.012,
101 s. 458.347, s. 459.022, or s. 468.701, with whom the physician
102 maintains a formal supervisory relationship or established
103 written protocol that identifies the medical care or evaluations
104 to be performed, identifies the conditions for their
105 performance, and attests to proficiency in the evaluation and
106 management of concussions; and
107 2. Consult with or use testing and the evaluation of
108 cognitive functions performed by a neuropsychologist licensed
109 under chapter 490.
110 Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2011.