House File 581 - Introduced HOUSE FILE 581 BY COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION (SUCCESSOR TO HF 385) A BILL FOR An Act concerning the protection of students from concussions 1 and other brain injuries. 2 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 3 TLSB 2513HV (2) 84 je/nh
H.F. 581 Section 1. NEW SECTION . 280.13C Brain injury policies. 1 1. a. The board of directors of each public school district 2 and the authorities in charge of each nonpublic school shall 3 work in concert with the Iowa high school athletic association 4 and the Iowa girls high school athletic union to distribute 5 guidelines and other pertinent information and forms to inform 6 and educate coaches, students, and the parents and guardians 7 of students of the risks, signs, symptoms, and behaviors 8 consistent with a concussion or brain injury, including the 9 danger of continuing to participate in athletic activities 10 after suffering a concussion or brain injury. 11 b. Annually, each school district and nonpublic school 12 shall provide to the parent or guardian of each student a 13 concussion and brain injury information sheet. The student 14 and the student’s parent or guardian shall sign and return 15 the concussion and brain injury information sheet to the 16 student’s school prior to the student’s participation in any 17 extracurricular interscholastic athletic activity for grades 18 seven through twelve. 19 2. If a student’s coach or contest official observes signs, 20 symptoms, or behaviors consistent with a concussion or brain 21 injury in an interscholastic athletic practice or game, the 22 student shall be immediately removed from participation. 23 3. a. A student who has been removed from participation 24 shall not recommence such participation until the student has 25 been evaluated by a licensed health care provider trained in 26 the evaluation and management of concussions and other brain 27 injuries and the student has received written clearance to 28 return to participation from the health care provider. 29 b. For the purposes of this section, a “licensed health care 30 provider” means a physician, physician assistant, chiropractor, 31 advanced registered nurse practitioner, nurse, or athletic 32 trainer licensed by a board designated under section 147.13. 33 4. The board of directors of each public school district and 34 the authorities in charge of each nonpublic school shall adopt 35 -1- LSB 2513HV (2) 84 je/nh 1/ 3
H.F. 581 rules and procedures necessary to carry out the requirements of 1 this section. 2 EXPLANATION 3 This bill directs the board of directors of each public 4 school district and the authorities in charge of each nonpublic 5 school to work in concert with the Iowa high school athletic 6 association and the Iowa girls high school athletic union 7 to distribute guidelines and other pertinent information 8 and forms to inform and educate coaches, students, and 9 parents and guardians of students of the risks, signs, 10 symptoms, and behaviors consistent with a concussion or brain 11 injury, including the danger of continuing to participate 12 in athletic activities after a concussion or brain injury. 13 The bill requires school districts and nonpublic schools to 14 annually provide the parent or guardian of a student with a 15 concussion and brain injury information sheet which must be 16 signed and returned before the student may participate in an 17 extracurricular interscholastic athletic activity for grades 18 seven through 12. 19 The bill provides that if a student’s coach or contest 20 official observes signs, symptoms, or behaviors consistent 21 with a concussion or brain injury in an interscholastic 22 athletic practice or game, the student must be removed from 23 participation. The bill provides that a student removed from 24 participation shall not recommence participation until the 25 student has been evaluated by a licensed health care provider, 26 defined as a physician, physician assistant, chiropractor, 27 advanced registered nurse practitioner, nurse, or athletic 28 trainer licensed by a board designated under Code section 29 147.13, trained in the evaluation and management of concussions 30 and other head injuries and received written clearance to 31 return to play. 32 The bill directs the board of directors of each school 33 district and the authorities in charge of each nonpublic school 34 to adopt rules and procedures necessary to carry out the 35 -2- LSB 2513HV (2) 84 je/nh 2/ 3
H.F. 581 requirements of the bill. 1 -3- LSB 2513HV (2) 84 je/nh 3/ 3