Florida Senate - 2012 CS for SB 256
By the Committee on Budget Subcommittee on Education Pre-K - 12
Appropriations; and Senator Flores
602-02667-12 2012256c1
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 an appropriately licensed and
13 trained physician who is qualified in the field of
14 neurology before the youth resumes athletic
15 activities; amending s. 1006.20, F.S.; requiring the
16 Florida High School Athletic Association to adopt
17 policies to inform certain officials, coaches, and
18 student athletes and their parents of the nature and
19 risk of certain head injuries; requiring that a signed
20 consent form be obtained before a student athlete
21 participates in athletic practices or competitions;
22 requiring that a student athlete be immediately
23 removed from an athletic activity following a
24 suspected head injury; requiring written clearance
25 from an appropriately licensed and trained physician
26 who is qualified in the field of neurology before the
27 student resumes athletic activities; providing an
28 effective date.
29
30 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
31
32 Section 1. Paragraph (e) is added to subsection (2) of
33 section 943.0438, Florida Statutes, to read:
34 943.0438 Athletic coaches for independent sanctioning
35 authorities.—
36 (2) An independent sanctioning authority shall:
37 (e)1. Adopt guidelines to educate officials,
38 administrators, athletic coaches, and youth athletes and their
39 parents or guardians of the nature and risk of concussion and
40 head injury.
41 2. Adopt bylaws or policies that require the parent or
42 guardian of a minor who participates in athletic practices or
43 competitions of the independent sanctioning authority, before
44 the minor participates in a competition, practice, or other
45 activity, to sign and return a consent form that explains the
46 nature and risk of concussion and head injury, including the
47 risk of continuing to play after a concussion or head injury has
48 occurred.
49 3. Adopt bylaws or policies that:
50 a. Require a youth athlete who is suspected of sustaining a
51 concussion or head injury in a practice or competition to be
52 immediately removed from the activity; and
53 b. Provide that a youth athlete who has been removed may
54 not return to practice or competition until the youth receives
55 written clearance to return from an appropriately licensed and
56 trained physician who is qualified in the field of neurology.
57 Section 2. Paragraphs (e), (f), and (g) are added to
58 subsection (2) of section 1006.20, Florida Statutes, to read:
59 1006.20 Athletics in public K-12 schools.—
60 (2) ADOPTION OF BYLAWS.—
61 (e) The organization shall adopt guidelines to educate
62 officials, administrators, coaches, and student athletes and
63 their parents or guardians of the nature and risk of concussion
64 and head injury.
65 (f) The organization shall adopt bylaws or policies that
66 require the parent or guardian of a student who participates in
67 interscholastic athletic competition or who is a candidate for
68 an interscholastic athletic team, before the student
69 participates in a competition, practice, or other activity, to
70 annually sign and return a consent form that explains the nature
71 and risk of concussion and head injury, including the risk of
72 continuing to play after a concussion or head injury has
73 occurred.
74 (g) The organization shall adopt bylaws or policies that:
75 1. Require a student athlete who is suspected of sustaining
76 a concussion or head injury in a practice or competition to be
77 immediately removed from the activity; and
78 2. Provide that a student athlete who has been removed may
79 not return to practice or competition until the student receives
80 written clearance to return from an appropriately licensed and
81 trained physician who is qualified in the field of neurology.
82 Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2012.