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1    AN ACT concerning education, which may be referred to as
2the Protecting Our Student Athletes Act.
 
3    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
4represented in the General Assembly:
 
5    Section 3. The Park District Code is amended by adding
6Section 8-24 as follows:
 
7    (70 ILCS 1205/8-24 new)
8    Sec. 8-24. Concussion and head injury educational
9materials. In addition to the other powers and authority now
10possessed by it, any park district is authorized and encouraged
11to make available to residents and users of park district
12facilities, including youth athletic programs, electronically
13or in written form, educational materials that describe the
14nature and risk of concussion and head injuries, including the
15advisability of removal of youth athletes that exhibit signs,
16symptoms, or behaviors consistent with a concussion, such as a
17loss of consciousness, headache, dizziness, confusion, or
18balance problems, from a practice or game. These educational
19materials may include materials produced or distributed by the
20Illinois High School Association, those produced by the U.S.
21Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or other comparable
22materials. The intent of these materials is to assist in
23educating coaches, youth athletes, and parents and guardians of

 

 

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1youth athletes about the nature and risks of head injuries.
 
2    Section 5. The School Code is amended by adding Sections
310-20.53 and 34-18.45 as follows:
 
4    (105 ILCS 5/10-20.53 new)
5    Sec. 10-20.53. Student athletes; concussions and head
6injuries.
7    (a) The General Assembly recognizes all of the following:
8        (1) Concussions are one of the most commonly reported
9    injuries in children and adolescents who participate in
10    sports and recreational activities. The Centers for
11    Disease Control and Prevention estimates that as many as
12    3,900,000 sports-related and recreation-related
13    concussions occur in the United States each year. A
14    concussion is caused by a blow or motion to the head or
15    body that causes the brain to move rapidly inside the
16    skull. The risk of catastrophic injuries or death are
17    significant when a concussion or head injury is not
18    properly evaluated and managed.
19        (2) Concussions are a type of brain injury that can
20    range from mild to severe and can disrupt the way the brain
21    normally works. Concussions can occur in any organized or
22    unorganized sport or recreational activity and can result
23    from a fall or from players colliding with each other, the
24    ground, or with obstacles. Concussions occur with or

 

 

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1    without loss of consciousness, but the vast majority of
2    concussions occur without loss of consciousness.
3        (3) Continuing to play with a concussion or symptoms of
4    a head injury leaves a young athlete especially vulnerable
5    to greater injury and even death. The General Assembly
6    recognizes that, despite having generally recognized
7    return-to-play standards for concussions and head
8    injuries, some affected youth athletes are prematurely
9    returned to play, resulting in actual or potential physical
10    injury or death to youth athletes in this State.
11    (b) Each school board shall adopt a policy regarding
12student athlete concussions and head injuries that is in
13compliance with the protocols, policies, and by-laws of the
14Illinois High School Association. Information on the school
15board's concussion and head injury policy must be a part of any
16agreement, contract, code, or other written instrument that a
17school district requires a student athlete and his or her
18parents or guardian to sign before participating in practice or
19interscholastic competition.
20    (c) The Illinois High School Association shall make
21available to all school districts, including elementary school
22districts, education materials, such as visual presentations
23and other written materials, that describe the nature and risk
24of concussions and head injuries. Each school district shall
25use education materials provided by the Illinois High School
26Association to educate coaches, student athletes, and parents

 

 

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1and guardians of student athletes about the nature and risk of
2concussions and head injuries, including continuing play after
3a concussion or head injury.
 
4    (105 ILCS 5/34-18.45 new)
5    Sec. 34-18.45. Student athletes; concussions and head
6injuries.
7    (a) The General Assembly recognizes all of the following:
8        (1) Concussions are one of the most commonly reported
9    injuries in children and adolescents who participate in
10    sports and recreational activities. The Centers for
11    Disease Control and Prevention estimates that as many as
12    3,900,000 sports-related and recreation-related
13    concussions occur in the United States each year. A
14    concussion is caused by a blow or motion to the head or
15    body that causes the brain to move rapidly inside the
16    skull. The risk of catastrophic injuries or death are
17    significant when a concussion or head injury is not
18    properly evaluated and managed.
19        (2) Concussions are a type of brain injury that can
20    range from mild to severe and can disrupt the way the brain
21    normally works. Concussions can occur in any organized or
22    unorganized sport or recreational activity and can result
23    from a fall or from players colliding with each other, the
24    ground, or with obstacles. Concussions occur with or
25    without loss of consciousness, but the vast majority of

 

 

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1    concussions occur without loss of consciousness.
2        (3) Continuing to play with a concussion or symptoms of
3    a head injury leaves a young athlete especially vulnerable
4    to greater injury and even death. The General Assembly
5    recognizes that, despite having generally recognized
6    return-to-play standards for concussions and head
7    injuries, some affected youth athletes are prematurely
8    returned to play, resulting in actual or potential physical
9    injury or death to youth athletes in this State.
10    (b) The board shall adopt a policy regarding student
11athlete concussions and head injuries that is in compliance
12with the protocols, policies, and by-laws of the Illinois High
13School Association. Information on the board's concussion and
14head injury policy must be a part of any agreement, contract,
15code, or other written instrument that the school district
16requires a student athlete and his or her parents or guardian
17to sign before participating in practice or interscholastic
18competition.
19    (c) The Illinois High School Association shall make
20available to the school district education materials, such as
21visual presentations and other written materials, that
22describe the nature and risk of concussions and head injuries.
23The school district shall use education materials provided by
24the Illinois High School Association to educate coaches,
25student athletes, and parents and guardians of student athletes
26about the nature and risk of concussions and head injuries,

 

 

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1including continuing play after a concussion or head injury.
 
2    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect July 1,
32011.