Sen. Kwame Raoul

Filed: 3/1/2011

 

 


 

 


 
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1
AMENDMENT TO SENATE BILL 150

2    AMENDMENT NO. ______. Amend Senate Bill 150 by replacing
3everything after the enacting clause with the following:
 
4    "Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the
5Protecting Our Student Athletes Act.
 
6    Section 5. Legislative findings; recognition.
7    (a) The General Assembly makes the following findings:
8        (1) A concussion is caused by a blow or motion to the
9    head or body that causes the brain to move inside of the
10    skull.
11        (2) Concussions are one of the most commonly reported
12    injuries in children and adolescents participating in
13    sports and recreational activities.
14        (3) Concussions are a type of brain injury that can
15    range from mild to severe and can disrupt the way the brain
16    normally works.

 

 

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1        (4) The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
2    estimates that nearly 4 million sports and
3    recreational-related concussions occur annually in the
4    United States.
5        (5) Studies show that continuing to play with a
6    concussion or symptoms of a head injury leaves a young
7    athlete especially vulnerable to greater injury and death.
8        (6) Studies also show that young, developing brains
9    take longer to heal, requiring that treatment be tailored
10    to specific ages.
11        (7) The risks of catastrophic injuries or death are
12    significant when a concussion or head injury is not
13    properly evaluated and managed.
14        (8) Continuing to play with a concussion or symptoms of
15    a head injury leaves the young athlete especially
16    vulnerable to greater injury and even death.
17    (b) The General Assembly recognizes that, despite having
18generally recognized standards regarding returning to play
19from a concussion or head injury, some affected student
20athletes may prematurely return to play, thus exposing
21themselves to further risk.
 
22    Section 10. Definitions. In this Act:
23    "Athlete" means a student or youth, male or female, that
24participates in an athletic program, event, or extracurricular
25activity operated or sponsored by a school or park district.

 

 

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1    "Board" means the school board of a school district or the
2governing body of a school.
3    "Department" means the Department of Public Health.
4    "Park district" has the meaning ascribed to that term under
5Section 1-3 of the Park District Code.
6    "School" means any school district or public, private, or
7nonpublic day or residential educational institution that
8provides elementary or secondary education for grades 12 and
9under.
10    "State Board" means the State Board of Education.
 
11    Section 15. Development of policies.
12    (a) This Section applies to all schools and park districts
13within this State that operate or sponsor athletic programs or
14extracurricular activities.
15    (b) Each board shall adopt a policy regarding student
16athlete concussions and head injuries that is in compliance
17with the protocols, policies, and by-laws of the Illinois High
18School Association. Information on the board's concussion and
19head injury policy must be a part of any agreement, contract,
20code, or other written instrument that the school requires a
21student athlete and his or her parents or guardian to sign
22before participating in practice or interscholastic
23competition.
24    The Illinois High School Association shall make available
25to the school educational materials, such as visual

 

 

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1presentations and other written materials, that describe the
2nature and risk of concussions and head injuries. The school
3shall use educational materials provided by the Illinois High
4School Association to educate coaches, student athletes, and
5parents and guardians of student athletes about the nature and
6risk of concussions and head injuries, including continuing to
7play after a concussion or head injury.
8    (c) Each park district shall adopt a policy regarding youth
9athlete concussions and head injuries. Each park district's
10policy must be consistent with guidelines developed by a
11working group convened by the Department of Public Health that
12includes various stakeholders deemed appropriate by the
13Department.
14    The policy shall require the removal of any youth athlete
15that exhibits signs, symptoms, or behaviors consist with a
16concussion, such as a loss of consciousness, headache,
17dizziness, confusion, or balance problems, from a practice or
18game. The policy shall also prevent any youth athlete who has
19been removed from practice or a game from returning until
20cleared by an appropriate health care professional.
21    Information on the park district's concussion and head
22injury policy must be a part of any agreement, contract, code,
23or other written instrument that a park district requires a
24youth athlete and his or her parents or guardian to sign before
25participating in park district-sanctioned practice or
26competition.

 

 

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1    Each park district shall make available educational
2materials, such as visual presentations and other written
3materials, that describe the nature and risk of concussions and
4head injuries. Each park district shall use the educational
5materials to educate coaches, youth athletes, and parents and
6guardians of youth athletes about the nature and risk of
7concussions and head injuries, including continuing to play
8after a concussion or head injury.
 
9    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect July 1,
102011.".