SENATE FILE 367

BY  COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION

(SUCCESSOR TO SF 153)

A BILL FOR

An Act concerning the protection of student athletes from concussions and other brain injuries.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:

   Section 1.  NEW SECTION.  280.13C  Brain injury policies.
   1.
  a.  The Iowa high school athletic association and the Iowa girls high school athletic union shall work together to develop and distribute guidelines and other pertinent information to inform and educate coaches, student athletes, and the parents and guardians of student athletes of the risks, signs, symptoms, and behaviors consistent with a sports-related concussion or brain injury, including the danger of continuing to participate in athletic activities after suffering a concussion or brain injury.
   b.  Annually, each school district and nonpublic school shall provide to the parent or guardian of each student athlete a concussion and brain injury information sheet, as developed by the Iowa high school athletic association and the Iowa girls high school athletic union. The student athlete and the student athlete’s parent or guardian shall sign and return the concussion and brain injury information sheet to the student athlete’s school prior to the student athlete’s participation in any extracurricular interscholastic athletic activity for grades seven through twelve.
   2.  If a student athlete’s coach or contest official observes signs, symptoms, or behaviors consistent with a concussion or brain injury in an interscholastic athletic practice or game, the student athlete shall be immediately removed from participation.
   3.
  a.  A student athlete who has been removed from participation shall not recommence such participation until the student athlete has been evaluated by a licensed health care provider trained in the evaluation and management of concussions and other brain injuries and the student athlete has received written clearance to return to participation from the health care provider.
   b.  For the purposes of this section, a“licensed health care provider” means a physician, physician assistant, chiropractor, advanced registered nurse practitioner, nurse, or athletic trainer licensed by a board designated under section 147.13.
   4.  The board of directors of each public school district and the authorities in charge of each nonpublic school shall adopt rules and procedures necessary to carry out the requirements of this section.
EXPLANATION
   This bill directs the Iowa high school athletic association and the Iowa girls high school athletic union to develop and distribute guidelines and other pertinent information to inform and educate coaches, student athletes, and parents and guardians of student athletes of the risks, signs, symptoms, and behaviors consistent with a sports-related concussion or brain injury, including the danger of continuing to participate in athletic activities after a concussion or brain injury. The bill requires school districts and nonpublic schools to annually provide the parent or guardian of a student athlete with a concussion and brain injury information sheet, as developed by the Iowa high school athletic association and the Iowa girls high school athletic union, which must be signed and returned before the student athlete may participate in an extracurricular interscholastic athletic activity for grades seven through 12.
   The bill provides that if a student athlete’s coach or contest official observes signs, symptoms, or behaviors consistent with a concussion or brain injury in an interscholastic athletic practice or game, the student athlete must be removed from participation. The bill provides that a student athlete removed from participation shall not recommence participation until the student athlete has been evaluated by a licensed health care provider, defined as a physician, physician assistant, chiropractor, advanced registered nurse practitioner, nurse, or athletic trainer licensed by a board designated under Code section 147.13, trained in the evaluation and management of concussions and other head injuries and received written clearance to return to play. 
   The bill directs the board of directors of each school district and the authorities in charge of each nonpublic school to adopt rules and procedures necessary to carry out the requirements of the bill.