Florida Senate - 2012 SB 948
By Senator Jones
13-00859-12 2012948__
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to youth athletics; amending s.
3 943.0438, F.S.; requiring an independent sanctioning
4 authority for a youth athletic team to adopt
5 guidelines to inform youth athletes and their parents
6 of the nature and risk of certain head injuries;
7 requiring that a signed consent form be obtained
8 before the youth participates in athletic practices or
9 competitions; requiring that a youth athlete be
10 immediately removed from an athletic activity
11 following a suspected head injury; requiring medical
12 clearance before the youth resumes athletic
13 activities; requiring that a physician or a health
14 care professional trained in the diagnosis,
15 evaluation, and management of concussions authorize
16 the medical clearance; amending s. 1006.20, F.S.;
17 requiring the Florida High School Athletic Association
18 or an organization that governs athletics to adopt
19 bylaws that create a sports medicine advisory
20 committee; providing membership of the committee;
21 requiring the association or the organization to adopt
22 bylaws or policies to inform student athletes and
23 their parents of the nature and risk of certain head
24 injuries; requiring that a signed consent form be
25 obtained before a student athlete participates in
26 athletic practices or competitions; requiring that a
27 student athlete be immediately removed from an
28 athletic activity following a suspected head injury;
29 requiring medical clearance before the student resumes
30 athletic activities; requiring that a physician or a
31 health care professional trained in the diagnosis,
32 evaluation, and management of concussions authorize
33 the medical clearance; providing an effective date.
34
35 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
36
37 Section 1. Paragraphs (e), (f), and (g) are added to
38 subsection (2) of section 943.0438, Florida Statutes, to read:
39 943.0438 Athletic coaches for independent sanctioning
40 authorities.—
41 (2) An independent sanctioning authority shall:
42 (e) Adopt guidelines to educate athletic coaches,
43 officials, administrators, and youth athletes and their parents
44 or guardians of the nature and risk of concussion and head
45 injury.
46 (f) Adopt bylaws or policies that require the parent or
47 guardian of a youth who is participating in an athletic
48 competition or who is a candidate for an athletic team to sign
49 and return an informed consent form that explains the nature and
50 risk of concussion and head injury, including the risk of
51 continuing to play after sustaining a concussion or head injury,
52 each year before participating in athletic competition or
53 engaging in any practice, tryout, workout, or other physical
54 activity associated with the youth’s candidacy for an athletic
55 team.
56 (g) Adopt bylaws or policies that require each youth
57 athlete who is suspected of sustaining a concussion or head
58 injury in a practice or competition to be immediately removed
59 from the activity. A youth athlete who has been removed from an
60 activity may not return to practice or competition until the
61 youth receives written medical clearance to return stating that
62 the youth athlete no longer exhibits signs, symptoms, or
63 behaviors consistent with a concussion or other head injury.
64 Medical clearance must be authorized by a physician licensed
65 under chapter 458, chapter 459, or chapter 460, or by the
66 appropriate health care professional trained in the diagnosis,
67 evaluation, and management of concussions as defined by the
68 Sports Medicine Advisory Committee of the Florida High School
69 Athletic Association.
70 Section 2. Paragraphs (e), (f), and (g) are added to
71 subsection (2) of section 1006.20, Florida Statutes, to read:
72 1006.20 Athletics in public K-12 schools.—
73 (2) ADOPTION OF BYLAWS.—
74 (e) The organization shall adopt bylaws that create a
75 sports medicine advisory committee that consists of three
76 members, each of whom are licensed under chapter 458 and
77 recommended by the Florida Medical Association, Inc.; three
78 members, each of whom are licensed under chapter 459 and
79 recommended by the Florida Osteopathic Medical Association,
80 Inc.; three members, each of whom are licensed under chapter 460
81 and recommended by the Florida Chiropractic Association, Inc.;
82 two members, each of whom are licensed under part XIII of
83 chapter 468; one member who is a head coach or former head coach
84 of a high school athletic team in this state and recommended by
85 the Florida Athletic Coaches Association, Inc.; and one member
86 who is a principal or former principal of a high school in this
87 state and recommended by the Florida School Boards Association,
88 Inc.
89 (f) The organization shall adopt bylaws or policies that
90 require the parent of a student who is participating in
91 interscholastic athletic competition or who is a candidate for
92 an interscholastic athletic team to sign and return an informed
93 consent form that explains the nature and risk of concussion and
94 head injury, including the risk of continuing to play after
95 sustaining a concussion or head injury, each year before
96 participating in interscholastic athletic competition or
97 engaging in any practice, tryout, workout, or other physical
98 activity associated with the student’s candidacy for an
99 interscholastic athletic team.
100 (g) The organization shall adopt bylaws or policies that
101 require each student athlete who is suspected of sustaining a
102 concussion or head injury in a practice or competition to be
103 immediately removed from the activity. A student athlete who has
104 been removed from an activity may not return to practice or
105 competition until the student receives written medical clearance
106 to return stating that the student athlete no longer exhibits
107 signs, symptoms, or behaviors consistent with a concussion or
108 other head injury. Medical clearance must be authorized by a
109 physician licensed under chapter 458, chapter 459, or chapter
110 460, or by the appropriate health care professional trained in
111 the diagnosis, evaluation, and management of concussions as
112 defined by the Sports Medicine Advisory Committee of the Florida
113 High School Athletic Association.
114 Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2012.