Florida Senate - 2012                                     SB 256
       
       
       
       By Senator Flores
       
       
       
       
       38-00159-12                                            2012256__
    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 a medical professional before
   13         the youth resumes athletic activities; authorizing a
   14         physician to delegate the performance of medical care
   15         to a licensed or certified health care practitioner
   16         and consult with or use testing and the evaluation of
   17         cognitive functions performed by a licensed
   18         neuropsychologist; amending s. 1006.20, F.S.;
   19         requiring the Florida High School Athletic Association
   20         to adopt policies to inform certain officials,
   21         coaches, and student athletes and their parents of the
   22         nature and risk of certain head injuries; requiring
   23         that a signed consent form be obtained before a
   24         student athlete participates in athletic practices or
   25         competitions; requiring that a student athlete be
   26         immediately removed from an athletic activity
   27         following a suspected head injury; requiring written
   28         clearance from a medical professional before the
   29         student resumes athletic activities; authorizing a
   30         physician to delegate the performance of medical care
   31         to a licensed or certified health care practitioner
   32         and consult with or use testing and the evaluation of
   33         cognitive functions performed by a licensed
   34         neuropsychologist; providing an effective date.
   35  
   36  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   37  
   38         Section 1. Paragraph (e) is added to subsection (2) of
   39  section 943.0438, Florida Statutes, to read:
   40         943.0438 Athletic coaches for independent sanctioning
   41  authorities.—
   42         (2) An independent sanctioning authority shall:
   43         (e)1.Adopt guidelines to educate officials,
   44  administrators, athletic coaches, and youth athletes and their
   45  parents or guardians of the nature and risk of concussion and
   46  head injury.
   47         2.Adopt bylaws or policies that require the parent or
   48  guardian of a minor who participates in athletic practices or
   49  competitions of the independent sanctioning authority, before
   50  the minor participates in a competition, practice, or other
   51  activity, to sign and return a consent form that explains the
   52  nature and risk of concussion and head injury, including the
   53  risk of continuing to play after a concussion or head injury has
   54  occurred.
   55         3.Adopt bylaws or policies that require a youth athlete
   56  who is suspected of sustaining a concussion or head injury in a
   57  practice or competition to be immediately removed from the
   58  activity. A youth athlete who has been removed may not return to
   59  practice or competition until the youth receives written
   60  clearance to return from a physician who is licensed under
   61  chapter 458 or chapter 459. Before issuing a written clearance
   62  to return to practice or competition, a physician may:
   63         a. Delegate the performance of medical care to a health
   64  care provider who is licensed or certified under s. 464.012, s.
   65  458.347, s. 459.022, or s. 468.701, with whom the physician
   66  maintains a formal supervisory relationship or established
   67  written protocol that identifies the medical care or evaluations
   68  to be performed, identifies conditions for performing medical
   69  care or evaluations, and attests to proficiency in the
   70  evaluation and management of concussions; and
   71         b. Consult with or use testing and the evaluation of
   72  cognitive functions performed by a neuropsychologist licensed
   73  under chapter 490.
   74         Section 2. Paragraphs (e), (f), and (g) are added to
   75  subsection (2) of section 1006.20, Florida Statutes, to read:
   76         1006.20 Athletics in public K-12 schools.—
   77         (2) ADOPTION OF BYLAWS.—
   78         (e) The organization shall adopt guidelines to educate
   79  officials, administrators, coaches, and student athletes and
   80  their parents or guardians of the nature and risk of concussion
   81  and head injury.
   82         (f) The organization shall adopt bylaws or policies that
   83  require the parent or guardian of a student who participates in
   84  interscholastic athletic competition or who is a candidate for
   85  an interscholastic athletic team, before the student
   86  participates in a competition, practice, or other activity, to
   87  annually sign and return a consent form that explains the nature
   88  and risk of concussion and head injury, including the risk of
   89  continuing to play after a concussion or head injury has
   90  occurred.
   91         (g) The organization shall adopt bylaws or policies that
   92  require a student athlete who is suspected of sustaining a
   93  concussion or head injury in a practice or competition to be
   94  immediately removed from the activity. A student athlete who has
   95  been removed may not return to practice or competition until the
   96  student receives written clearance to return from a physician
   97  who is licensed under chapter 458 or chapter 459. Before issuing
   98  a written clearance to return to practice or competition, a
   99  physician may:
  100         1. Delegate the performance of medical care to a health
  101  care practitioner who is licensed or certified under s. 464.012,
  102  s. 458.347, s. 459.022, or s. 468.701, with whom the physician
  103  maintains a formal supervisory relationship or established
  104  written protocol that identifies the medical care or evaluations
  105  to be performed, identifies the conditions for their
  106  performance, and attests to proficiency in the evaluation and
  107  management of concussions; and
  108         2. Consult with or use testing and the evaluation of
  109  cognitive functions performed by a neuropsychologist licensed
  110  under chapter 490.
  111         Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2012.