Florida 2024 Regular Session

Florida House Bill H1627 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1
2	2
3	3	HB 1627 2024
4	4
5	5
6	6
7	7	CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
8	8	hb1627-00
9	9	Page 1 of 3
10	10	F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
11	11
12	12
13	13
14	14	A bill to be entitled 1
15	15	An act relating to brain and spinal cord injuries; 2
16	16	creating s. 381.781, F.S.; providing a short title; 3
17	17	providing legislative findings and intent; requiring 4
18	18	the advisory council on brain and spinal cord injuries 5
19	19	to annually submit a specified report to the 6
20	20	Legislature and the Governor; authorizing the State 7
21	21	Surgeon General, in consultation with the advisory 8
22	22	council, to issue a health advisory with respect to 9
23	23	contact sports for minors; providing requirements for 10
24	24	such advisory; authorizing the Governor, upon the 11
25	25	advice of the State Surgeon General, to set a minimum 12
26	26	age for contact sports, along with reasonable waivers 13
27	27	and exceptions; providing construction; provi ding 14
28	28	rulemaking authority; providing an effective date. 15
29	29	16
30	30	Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 17
31	31	18
32	32	Section 1. Section 381.781, Florida Statutes, is created 19
33	33	to read: 20
34	34	381.781 Mac Parkman Act. — 21
35	35	(1) This section may be cited as the "Mac Parkman Act." 22
36	36	(2) The Legislature finds that while the adolescent brain 23
37	37	is still maturing and rapidly developing, it is more susceptible 24
38	38	to injury from concussions or sub -concussive impacts, which are 25
39	39
40	40	HB 1627 2024
41	41
42	42
43	43
44	44	CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
45	45	hb1627-00
46	46	Page 2 of 3
47	47	F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
48	48
49	49
50	50
51	51	those impacts that are below the concussion thr eshold when the 26
52	52	brain is shaken, but not severe enough to see symptoms of the 27
53	53	damage to brain cells. The Legislature further finds that these 28
54	54	injuries most often occur in contact sports and continued 29
55	55	exposure to such injuries can lead to declines in cognit ive 30
56	56	abilities and mental health or to life -threatening conditions 31
57	57	such as chronic traumatic encephalopathy or self -harm. It is the 32
58	58	intent of the legislature that children under 14 years of age 33
59	59	should limit or abstain from contact sports. 34
60	60	(3) The advisory council on brain and spinal cord injuries 35
61	61	shall annually submit a report to the Governor, the President of 36
62	62	the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives with 37
63	63	their findings and recommendations. The chair of the advisory 38
64	64	council shall give te stimony as needed to the Legislature on the 39
65	65	findings of the advisory council and on new policy that could 40
66	66	better mitigate and treat the risk of sub -concussive impacts and 41
67	67	other brain and spinal cord injuries. 42
68	68	(4)(a) The State Surgeon General may, in cons ultation with 43
69	69	the advisory council, issue a health advisory with respect to 44
70	70	contact sports for minors. Such advisory shall be contained in a 45
71	71	notice to be signed by the parent or guardian before a minor may 46
72	72	engage in such organized activities. 47
73	73	(b) The Governor may, upon the advice of the State Surgeon 48
74	74	General, set a minimum age for contact sports, along with 49
75	75	reasonable waivers and exceptions to that minimum age such as 50
76	76
77	77	HB 1627 2024
78	78
79	79
80	80
81	81	CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
82	82	hb1627-00
83	83	Page 3 of 3
84	84	F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
85	85
86	86
87	87
88	88	return to play considerations and frequency of contact sports 51
89	89	during a single year. 52
90	90	(c) Paragraph (b) only applies when such contact sports 53
91	91	are to take place on public property and not when such sports 54
92	92	are part of a private league on private property. 55
93	93	(5) The department shall adopt rules to administer this 56
94	94	section. 57
95	95	Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2024. 58