CS/CS/HB 301

1	A bill to be entitled
2	An act relating to youth athletes; amending ss. 943.0438
3	and 1006.20, F.S.; requiring an independent sanctioning
4	authority for youth athletic teams and the Florida High
5	School Athletic Association to adopt guidelines, bylaws,
6	and policies relating to the nature and risk of concussion
7	and head injury in youth athletes; requiring informed
8	consent for participation in practice or competition;
9	requiring removal from practice or competition under
10	certain circumstances and written clearance to return;
11	providing an effective date.
12
13	Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
14
15	Section 1.  Paragraphs (e), (f), and (g) are added to
16	subsection (2) of section 943.0438, Florida Statutes, to read:
17	943.0438  Athletic coaches for independent sanctioning
18	authorities.-
19	(2)  An independent sanctioning authority shall:
20	(e)  Adopt guidelines to educate athletic coaches,
21	officials, administrators, youth athletes, and their parents or
22	guardians of the nature and risk of concussion and head injury.
23	(f)  Adopt bylaws or policies that require the parent or
24	guardian of a youth participating in athletic competition or who
25	is a candidate for an athletic team to sign and return an
26	informed consent that explains the nature and risk of concussion
27	and head injury, including the risk of continuing to play after
28	concussion or head injury, each year before participating in
29	athletic competition or engaging in any practice, tryout,
30	workout, or other physical activity associated with the
31	student's candidacy for an athletic team.
32	(g)  Adopt bylaws or policies that require each youth
33	athlete who is suspected of sustaining a concussion or head
34	injury in a practice or competition to be removed from practice
35	or competition at that time. A youth athlete who has been
36	removed from practice or competition may not return to practice
37	or competition until the youth receives written clearance to
38	return from a physician licensed under chapter 458 or chapter
39	459 who is trained in the evaluation and management of
40	concussions. Prior to issuing a written clearance to play, a
41	physician may:
42	1.  Delegate the performance of medical acts to a health
43	care provider licensed or certified under s. 458.347, s.
44	459.022, s. 464.012, or s. 468.707 with whom the physician
45	maintains a formal supervisory relationship or an established
46	written protocol that identifies the medical acts or evaluations
47	to be performed and conditions for their performance and that
48	attests to proficiency in the evaluation and management of
49	concussions.
50	2.  Consult with, or utilize testing and evaluation of
51	cognitive functions performed by, a neuropsychologist licensed
52	under chapter 490.
53	3.  Consult with or utilize evaluations performed by a
54	chiropractic physician licensed under chapter 460.
55	Section 2.  Paragraphs (e), (f), and (g) are added to
56	subsection (2) of section 1006.20, Florida Statutes, to read:
57	1006.20  Athletics in public K-12 schools.-
58	(2)  ADOPTION OF BYLAWS.-
59	(e)  The organization shall adopt guidelines to educate
60	athletic coaches, officials, administrators, student athletes,
61	and their parents of the nature and risk of concussion and head
62	injury.
63	(f)  The organization shall adopt bylaws or policies that
64	require the parent of a student who is participating in
65	interscholastic athletic competition or who is a candidate for
66	an interscholastic athletic team to sign and return an informed
67	consent that explains the nature and risk of concussion and head
68	injury, including the risk of continuing to play after
69	concussion or head injury, each year before participating in
70	interscholastic athletic competition or engaging in any
71	practice, tryout, workout, or other physical activity associated
72	with the student's candidacy for an interscholastic athletic
73	team.
74	(g)  The organization shall adopt bylaws or policies that
75	require each student athlete who is suspected of sustaining a
76	concussion or head injury in a practice or competition to be
77	removed from practice or competition at that time. A student
78	athlete who has been removed from practice or competition may
79	not return to practice or competition until the student receives
80	written clearance to return from a physician licensed under
81	chapter 458 or chapter 459 who is trained in the evaluation and
82	management of concussions. Prior to issuing a written clearance
83	to return to play, a physician may:
84	1.  Delegate the performance of medical acts to a health
85	care practitioner licensed or certified under s. 458.347, s.
86	459.022, s. 464.012, or s. 468.707 with whom the physician
87	maintains a formal supervisory relationship or an established
88	written protocol that identifies the medical acts or evaluations
89	to be performed and conditions for their performance and that
90	attests to proficiency in the evaluation and management of
91	concussions.
92	2.  Consult with, or utilize testing and evaluation of
93	cognitive functions performed by, a neuropsychologist licensed
94	under chapter 490.
95	3.  Consult with or utilize evaluations performed by a
96	chiropractic physician licensed under chapter 460.
97	Section 3.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2011.

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.