97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2011 and 2012
HB0200

 

Introduced 01/18/11, by Rep. Tom Cross - Timothy L. Schmitz

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
105 ILCS 5/10-20.53 new
105 ILCS 5/34-18.45 new

    Amends the School Code. Requires a school board to work in concert with the Illinois High School Association to develop guidelines and other pertinent information and forms to inform and educate coaches, student athletes, and these athletes' parents and guardians of the nature and risk of concussions and head injuries, including continuing to play after a concussion or head injury. Requires the concussion and head injury information sheet to be signed and returned by a student athlete and the athlete's parent or guardian prior to the student athlete's initiating practice or competition. Provides that a school board shall adopt a policy requiring a student athlete who is suspected of sustaining a concussion or head injury in a practice or game to be removed from competition at that time. Requires the policy to provide that a student athlete who has been removed from play may not return to play until the student athlete is evaluated by a licensed health care provider trained in the evaluation and management of concussions and head injuries and the student athlete receives written clearance to return to play from that health care provider.


LRB097 00089 NHT 40097 b

FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY
STATE MANDATES ACT MAY REQUIRE REIMBURSEMENT

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

HB0200LRB097 00089 NHT 40097 b

1    AN ACT concerning education.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 5. The School Code is amended by adding Sections
510-20.53 and 34-18.45 as follows:
 
6    (105 ILCS 5/10-20.53 new)
7    Sec. 10-20.53. Student athletes; concussions and head
8injuries:
9    (a) The General Assembly recognizes all of the following:
10        (1) Concussions are one of the most commonly reported
11    injuries in children and adolescents who participate in
12    sports and recreational activities. The Centers for
13    Disease Control and Prevention estimates that as many as
14    3,900,000 sports-related and recreation-related
15    concussions occur in the United States each year. A
16    concussion is caused by a blow or motion to the head or
17    body that causes the brain to move rapidly inside the
18    skull. The risk of catastrophic injuries or death are
19    significant when a concussion or head injury is not
20    properly evaluated and managed.
21        (2) Concussions are a type of brain injury that can
22    range from mild to severe and can disrupt the way the brain
23    normally works. Concussions can occur in any organized or

 

 

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1    unorganized sport or recreational activity and can result
2    from a fall or from players colliding with each other, the
3    ground, or with obstacles. Concussions occur with or
4    without loss of consciousness, but the vast majority of
5    concussions occur without loss of consciousness.
6        (3) Continuing to play with a concussion or symptoms of
7    a head injury leaves a young athlete especially vulnerable
8    to greater injury and even death. The General Assembly
9    recognizes that, despite having generally recognized
10    return-to-play standards for concussions and head
11    injuries, some affected youth athletes are prematurely
12    returned to play, resulting in actual or potential physical
13    injury or death to youth athletes in this State.
14    (b) Each school board shall work in concert with the
15Illinois High School Association to develop guidelines and
16other pertinent information and forms to inform and educate
17coaches, student athletes, and these athletes' parents and
18guardians of the nature and risk of concussions and head
19injuries, including continuing to play after a concussion or
20head injury. A concussion and head injury information sheet
21must be signed and returned by a student athlete and the
22athlete's parent or guardian prior to the student athlete's
23initiating practice or competition.
24    (c) Each school board shall adopt a policy requiring a
25student athlete who is suspected of sustaining a concussion or
26head injury in a practice or game to be removed from

 

 

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1competition at that time. The policy shall also provide that a
2student athlete who has been removed from play may not return
3to play until the student athlete is evaluated by a licensed
4health care provider trained in the evaluation and management
5of concussions and head injuries and the student athlete
6receives written clearance to return to play from that health
7care provider.
 
8    (105 ILCS 5/34-18.45 new)
9    Sec. 34-18.45. Student athletes; concussions and head
10injuries.
11    (a) The General Assembly recognizes all of the following:
12        (1) Concussions are one of the most commonly reported
13    injuries in children and adolescents who participate in
14    sports and recreational activities. The Centers for
15    Disease Control and Prevention estimates that as many as
16    3,900,000 sports-related and recreation-related
17    concussions occur in the United States each year. A
18    concussion is caused by a blow or motion to the head or
19    body that causes the brain to move rapidly inside the
20    skull. The risk of catastrophic injuries or death are
21    significant when a concussion or head injury is not
22    properly evaluated and managed.
23        (2) Concussions are a type of brain injury that can
24    range from mild to severe and can disrupt the way the brain
25    normally works. Concussions can occur in any organized or

 

 

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1    unorganized sport or recreational activity and can result
2    from a fall or from players colliding with each other, the
3    ground, or with obstacles. Concussions occur with or
4    without loss of consciousness, but the vast majority of
5    concussions occur without loss of consciousness.
6        (3) Continuing to play with a concussion or symptoms of
7    a head injury leaves a young athlete especially vulnerable
8    to greater injury and even death. The General Assembly
9    recognizes that, despite having generally recognized
10    return-to-play standards for concussions and head
11    injuries, some affected youth athletes are prematurely
12    returned to play, resulting in actual or potential physical
13    injury or death to youth athletes in this State.
14    (b) The board shall work in concert with the Illinois High
15School Association to develop guidelines and other pertinent
16information and forms to inform and educate coaches, student
17athletes, and these athletes' parents and guardians of the
18nature and risk of concussions and head injuries, including
19continuing to play after a concussion or head injury. A
20concussion and head injury information sheet must be signed and
21returned by a student athlete and the athlete's parent or
22guardian prior to the student athlete's initiating practice or
23competition.
24    (c) The board shall adopt a policy requiring a student
25athlete who is suspected of sustaining a concussion or head
26injury in a practice or game to be removed from competition at

 

 

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1that time. The policy shall also provide that a student athlete
2who has been removed from play may not return to play until the
3student athlete is evaluated by a licensed health care provider
4trained in the evaluation and management of concussions and
5head injuries and the student athlete receives written
6clearance to return to play from that health care provider.