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1 | AN ACT concerning education.
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2 | Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
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3 | represented in the General Assembly:
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4 | Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the Sudden | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
5 | Cardiac Arrest Prevention Act. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
6 | Section 5. Definitions. The following words and phrases | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
7 | when used in this Act shall have the meanings given to them in | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
8 | this Section unless the context clearly indicates otherwise: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
9 | "Athletic activity" means all of the following: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
10 | (1) Interscholastic athletics. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
11 | (2) An athletic contest or competition, other than | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
12 | interscholastic athletics, that is sponsored by or | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
13 | associated with a school entity, including cheerleading, | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
14 | club-sponsored sports activities, and sports activities | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
15 | sponsored by school-affiliated organizations. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
16 | (3) Noncompetitive cheerleading that is sponsored by | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
17 | or associated with a school entity. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
18 | (4) Practices, interschool practices, and scrimmages | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
19 | for all of the activities listed under items (1), (2), and | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
20 | (3) of this definition. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
21 | "Department" means the Department of Public Health.
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22 | "Interscholastic athletics" means all athletic contests or
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23 | competitions conducted between or among school entities. |
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1 | "School entity" means a public school, school district, or | ||||||
2 | nonpublic school recognized by the State Board of Education. | ||||||
3 | "State Board" means the State Board of Education. | ||||||
4 | Section 10. Sudden cardiac arrest. | ||||||
5 | (a) The Department and the State Board shall develop and | ||||||
6 | post on their publicly accessible Internet websites guidelines | ||||||
7 | and other relevant materials, including without limitation a | ||||||
8 | sudden cardiac arrest symptoms and warning signs information | ||||||
9 | sheet, to inform and educate students participating in or | ||||||
10 | desiring to participate in an athletic activity, their parents, | ||||||
11 | and their coaches about the nature and warning signs of sudden | ||||||
12 | cardiac arrest, including the risks associated with continuing | ||||||
13 | to play or practice after experiencing one or more symptoms of | ||||||
14 | sudden cardiac arrest, including fainting, difficulty | ||||||
15 | breathing, chest pains, dizziness, and abnormal racing heart | ||||||
16 | rate. | ||||||
17 | In developing the guidelines and materials, the Department | ||||||
18 | and the State Board may utilize existing materials developed by | ||||||
19 | organizations such as Parent Heart Watch and Sudden Arrhythmia | ||||||
20 | Death Syndromes. | ||||||
21 | A student participating in or desiring to participate in an | ||||||
22 | athletic activity and the student's parent or guardian shall, | ||||||
23 | each school year and prior to participation by the student in | ||||||
24 | an athletic activity, sign and return to the student's school | ||||||
25 | an acknowledgment of receipt and review of a sudden cardiac |
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1 | arrest symptoms and warning signs information sheet developed | ||||||
2 | under this subsection (a). | ||||||
3 | (b) A school entity may hold an informational meeting prior | ||||||
4 | to the start of each athletic season for all ages of | ||||||
5 | competitors regarding the symptoms and warning signs of sudden | ||||||
6 | cardiac arrest. In addition to students, parents, coaches, and | ||||||
7 | other school officials, informational meetings may include | ||||||
8 | physicians licensed to practice medicine in all of its | ||||||
9 | branches, pediatric cardiologists, and athletic trainers. | ||||||
10 | (c) A student who, as determined by a game official, coach | ||||||
11 | from the student's team, certified athletic trainer, physician | ||||||
12 | licensed to practice medicine in all of its branches, or other | ||||||
13 | official designated by the student's school entity, exhibits | ||||||
14 | signs or symptoms of sudden cardiac arrest while participating | ||||||
15 | in an athletic activity must be removed by the team's head | ||||||
16 | coach from participation at that time, subject to this | ||||||
17 | subsection (c). | ||||||
18 | If a student is known to have exhibited signs or symptoms | ||||||
19 | of sudden cardiac arrest at any time prior to or following an | ||||||
20 | athletic activity, the team's head coach shall prevent the | ||||||
21 | student from participating in an athletic activity, subject to | ||||||
22 | this subsection (c). | ||||||
23 | A student removed or prevented from participating in an | ||||||
24 | athletic activity under this subsection (c) shall not return to | ||||||
25 | participation until the student is evaluated and cleared for | ||||||
26 | return to participation in writing by a physician licensed to |
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1 | practice medicine in all of its branches, certified nurse | ||||||
2 | practitioner, or cardiologist. In order to help determine | ||||||
3 | whether a student is ready to return to play, the physician | ||||||
4 | licensed to practice medicine in all of its branches, certified | ||||||
5 | nurse practitioner, or cardiologist may consult any other | ||||||
6 | licensed or certified medical professionals. | ||||||
7 | (d) Once each school year, a coach of an athletic activity | ||||||
8 | shall complete a sudden cardiac arrest training course offered | ||||||
9 | by a provider approved by the Department. A coach of an | ||||||
10 | athletic activity shall not coach the athletic activity until | ||||||
11 | the coach completes the training course required under this | ||||||
12 | subsection (d). | ||||||
13 | (e) The governing body of a school entity shall establish | ||||||
14 | the following minimum penalties for a coach found in violation | ||||||
15 | of subsection (c) of this Section, which penalties shall apply | ||||||
16 | 2 years following the effective date of this Act: | ||||||
17 | (1) For a first violation, suspension from coaching any | ||||||
18 | athletic activity for the remainder of the season. | ||||||
19 | (2) For a second violation, suspension from coaching | ||||||
20 | any athletic activity for the remainder of the season and | ||||||
21 | for the next season. | ||||||
22 | (3) For a third violation, permanent suspension from | ||||||
23 | coaching any athletic activity. | ||||||
24 | Section 15. Other youth athletic activities. The sponsors | ||||||
25 | of youth athletic activities not associated with a school |
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1 | entity are encouraged to follow this Act. | ||||||
2 | Section 80. Construction. Nothing in this Act shall be | ||||||
3 | construed to do the following: | ||||||
4 | (1) abridge or limit any rights provided under a | ||||||
5 | collective bargaining agreement in effect on the effective | ||||||
6 | date of this Act or any rights provided under the Illinois | ||||||
7 | Educational Labor Relations Act; or | ||||||
8 | (2) create, establish, expand, reduce, contract, or | ||||||
9 | eliminate any civil liability on the part of any school | ||||||
10 | entity or school employee. | ||||||
11 | Section 85. Rules. The Department and the State Board may | ||||||
12 | adopt any rules necessary to implement this Act.
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