Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session

Massachusetts House Bill H2485 Compare Versions

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

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1	1	1 of 1
2	2	HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1738 FILED ON: 1/15/2025
3	3	HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 2485
4	4	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
5	5	_________________
6	6	PRESENTED BY:
7	7	Jay D. Livingstone
8	8	_________________
9	9	To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
10	10	Court assembled:
11	11	The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:
12	12	An Act concerning the cardiac health of children and student athletes.
13	13	_______________
14	14	PETITION OF:
15	15	NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Jay D. Livingstone8th Suffolk1/15/2025 1 of 8
16	16	HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1738 FILED ON: 1/15/2025
17	17	HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 2485
18	18	By Representative Livingstone of Boston, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 2485) of
19	19	Jay D. Livingstone relative to the cardiac health of children and student athletes. Public Health.
20	20	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
21	21	_______________
22	22	In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court
23	23	(2025-2026)
24	24	_______________
25	25	An Act concerning the cardiac health of children and student athletes.
26	26	Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
27	27	of the same, as follows:
28	28	1 SECTION 1. Chapter 111 of of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2022 Official
29	29	2Edition, is hereby amended by inserting after section 244, the following section:-
30	30	3 Section 245. Children’s cardiac safety
31	31	4 (a) “health care professional” means a physician, advanced practice nurse, or physician
32	32	5assistant.
33	33	6 (b) A registered, licensed, and certified health care professional who performs an annual
34	34	7physical examination of a child 19 years of age or younger shall include as part of that
35	35	8examination questions that evaluate a child’s family history related to cardiac conditions
36	36	9contained in the “Preparticipation Physical Evaluation” form developed jointly by the American
37	37	10Academy of Family Physicians, American Academy of Pediatrics, American College of Sports
38	38	11Medicine, American Medical Society for Sports Medicine, American Orthopaedic Society for 2 of 8
39	39	12Sports Medicine, American Osteopathic Academy of Sports Medicine and the American Heart
40	40	13Association's 14 point screening for heart disease in youth.
41	41	14 The evaluation shall include, but not be limited to: (1) A question regarding the biologic
42	42	15heart health history of the child, including any history of sperm or egg donors and biological
43	43	16parents; (2) Four specific questions regarding biologic heart health history during cardiac
44	44	17screening in well-child visits and in preparticipation physical examinations, including: (a) Have
45	45	18you ever fainted, passed out, or had an unexplained seizure suddenly and without warning,
46	46	19especially during exercise or in response to sudden loud noises, such as doorbells, alarm clocks,
47	47	20and ringing telephones; (b) Have you ever had exercise related chest pain or shortness of breath;
48	48	21(c) Has anyone in your immediate family (parents, grandparents, siblings) or other, more distant
49	49	22relatives (aunts, uncles, cousins) died of heart problems or had an unexpected sudden death
50	50	23before age 50; (d) Are you related to anyone with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy or hypertrophic
51	51	24obstructive cardiomyopathy, Marfan syndrome, arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy, long QT
52	52	25syndrome, short QT syndrome, Brugada syndrome, catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular
53	53	26tachycardia, Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome or anyone younger than 50 years with a
54	54	27pacemaker or implantable defibrillator?
55	55	28 (c) The department of elementary and secondary education and the department of public
56	56	29health shall set forth guidance to both public and private schools and require that prior to the
57	57	30participation of any student enrolled in grades kindergarten to 12 on a school or community
58	58	31organization sponsored interscholastic or intramural athletic team or squad, the student shall
59	59	32have a physical examination using the “Preparticipation Physical Evaluation” form developed
60	60	33jointly by the American Academy of Family Physicians, American Academy of Pediatrics,
61	61	34American College of Sports Medicine, American Medical Society for Sports Medicine, 3 of 8
62	62	35American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine, and American Osteopathic Academy of
63	63	36Sports Medicine and the American Heart Association’s 14 point screening for heart disease in
64	64	37the young. The Preparticipation Physical Evaluation form shall include the History and Physical
65	65	38Examination components, and the additional questions required pursuant to Section 3 of this act.
66	66	39The Preparticipation Physical Evaluation form shall also include a certification statement, to be
67	67	40signed by the registered, licensed, and certified health care professional who performed the
68	68	41physical examination, attesting to the completion of the current professional development
69	69	42module established pursuant to this Act.
70	70	43 (d) This physical examination shall be conducted within 6 weeks to the first day of
71	71	44official practice in an athletic season and shall be conducted by a registered, licensed, and
72	72	45certified health care professional. All preparticipation physical evaluations must be updated in
73	73	46accordance with the PPE Monograph developed jointly by the American Academy of Family
74	74	47Physicians, American Academy of Pediatrics, American College of Sports Medicine, American
75	75	48Medical Society for Sports Medicine, American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine, and
76	76	49American Osteopathic Academy of Sports Medicine and the American Heart Association’s 14
77	77	50point screening for heart disease in the young and ask if the student has: (1) been advised by a
78	78	51registered, licensed, and certified health care professional defined as physician, advanced
79	79	52practice nurse, or physician assistant (MD, DO, PA, or APN/NP) not to participate in a sport; (2)
80	80	53sustained a concussion, been unconscious or lost memory from a blow to the head; (3) broken a
81	81	54bone or sprained, strained, or dislocated any muscles or joints; (4) fainted or blacked out; (5)
82	82	55experienced chest pains, shortness of breath, or heart racing; (6) had a recent history of fatigue
83	83	56and unusual tiredness; (7) been hospitalized, visited an emergency room, or had a significant
84	84	57medical illness; (8) started or stopped taking any over the counter or prescribed medications; or 4 of 8
85	85	58(9) had a sudden death in the family, or whether any member of the student’s family under the
86	86	59age of 50 has had a heart attack or heart trouble, and (10) asked specifically the new 4 questions
87	87	60listed in subsection (b) regarding the heart health history during cardiac screening in well-child
88	88	61visit and/or PPE.
89	89	62 The board of education of a public school district and the governing board or chief school
90	90	63administrator of a nonpublic school shall not permit a student enrolled in grades kindergarten to
91	91	6412 to participate on a school or community based organization sponsored interscholastic or
92	92	65intramural athletic team or squad unless the student has a completed a Preparticipation Physical
93	93	66Evaluation form and, if applicable, a completed health history update questionnaire as required
94	94	67under this Act.
95	95	68 (e) The department of health shall create a single form, including the contents in
96	96	69subsection (c), to be utilized in all Preparticipation Physical Evaluations statewide.
97	97	70 (f) The department of elementary and secondary education and the department of public
98	98	71health shall establish a Childhood Cardiac Screening professional development module to
99	99	72increase the assessment skills of those health care practitioners who perform well-child physical
100	100	73examinations and screenings. The departments shall either develop a module adhering to
101	101	74requirements in this Act, or adopt the module created by the New Jersey Commissioners of
102	102	75Education and Health in consultation with the New Jersey Chapter of the American Academy of
103	103	76Pediatrics, the New Jersey Academy of Family Physicians, the American Heart Association, and
104	104	77the New Jersey Chapter of the American College of Cardiology.
105	105	78 If the Commissioners of department of elementary and secondary education and the
106	106	79department of public health choose to develop a new module they shall, in consultation with the 5 of 8
107	107	80state chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, the state chapter of the Academy of Family
108	108	81Physicians, the American Heart Association, and the state chapter of the American College of
109	109	82Cardiology, develop, by the 2026-2027 school year, a Childhood Cardiac Screening professional
110	110	83development module to increase the assessment skills of those health care practitioners who
111	111	84perform well child physical examinations and screenings. The module shall include, but need not
112	112	85be limited to, the following: (1) how to complete and review a detailed medical history with an
113	113	86emphasis on cardiovascular family history and personal reports of symptoms; (2) identifying
114	114	87symptoms of sudden cardiac arrest that may require follow up with a cardiologist; (3)
115	115	88recognizing normal structural changes of the athletic heart; (4) recognizing prodromal symptoms
116	116	89that precede sudden cardiac arrest; (5) performing the cardiovascular physical examination; (6)
117	117	90reviewing the major etiologies of sudden unexplained cardiac death with an emphasis on
118	118	91structural abnormalities and acquired conditions; and (7) when to refer a student to a cardiologist
119	119	92for further assessment.
120	120	93 The module shall be posted on the websites of the department of elementary and
121	121	94secondary education and the department of public health and links shall be made available to the
122	122	95American Academy of Pediatrics, the Academy of Family Physicians, the American Heart
123	123	96Association, the American College of Cardiology, the Athletic Trainers’ Society, the State Board
124	124	97of Medical Examiners, Board of Nursing, and the Society of Physician Assistants.
125	125	98 Providers completing the Childhood Cardiac Screening will be registered in a database to
126	126	99ensure all providers have successfully completed the required modules. This data shall be held
127	127	100for 10 years. 6 of 8
128	128	101 The department of public health shall compile and publish on its website an annual report
129	129	102containing the total number of exams that were completed and the number of referrals that were
130	130	103made to cardiology . The report shall also analyze the outcomes of this legislation.
131	131	104 (g) The commissioner of elementary and secondary education, in consultation with the
132	132	105commissioner of public, the American Heart Association, and the American Academy of
133	133	106Pediatrics, shall develop a pamphlet that provides information about the disease that can cause
134	134	107sudden cardiac arrest to children and their parents. The pamphlet shall include an explanation of
135	135	108sudden cardiac arrest, its incidence, a description of early warning signs, and an overview of the
136	136	109options that are privately available to screen for cardiac conditions that may lead to sudden
137	137	110cardiac arrest, including a statement about the limitations of these options.
138	138	111 The commissioner shall distribute the pamphlet, at no charge, to all school districts in the
139	139	112Commonwealth. The commissioner shall update the pamphlet as necessary, and shall make
140	140	113additional copies available to nonpublic schools upon request.
141	141	114 Beginning in the 2026-2027 school year, each school district shall annually distribute this
142	142	115pamphlet to the parents or guardians of students participating in school sports as part of the
143	143	116student’s preparticipation physical examination and completion of athletic permission forms. A
144	144	117student and their parent or guardian shall certify in writing that they received and reviewed the
145	145	118pamphlet.
146	146	119 (h) A registered, licensed, and certified health care professional who performs annual
147	147	120physical examinations of children 19 years of age or younger, including examinations prior to
148	148	121the student’s participation in a school or community based organization sponsored interscholastic
149	149	122or intramural athletic team or squad as required under this Act, shall complete the Childhood 7 of 8
150	150	123Cardiac Screening professional development module established by the department of public
151	151	124health under this Act and read the associated pamphlet every four years.
152	152	125 A contract between a school district and a school physician shall include a statement of
153	153	126assurance that the school physician has completed the Childhood Cardiac Screening professional
154	154	127development module and associated pamphlet under this Act within the past four years.
155	155	128 A registered, licensed, and certified health care professional who completes the
156	156	129Childhood Cardiac Screening professional development module as required pursuant to this Act
157	157	130shall retain on file at that person’s professional office a hard copy of the certificate of completion
158	158	131of the module. The hard copy of the certificate of completion of the module shall be made
159	159	132available upon request.
160	160	133 Upon every renewal of a certification, biennial registration, or renewal of a license by a
161	161	134health care professional who performs annual physical examinations of children 19 years of age
162	162	135or younger, the health care professional shall attest to the completion of the module within the
163	163	136past four years to the Board of Medical Examiners or the Board of Nursing, as appropriate. An
164	164	137application for renewal of a certification, biennial registration, or renewal of a license shall
165	165	138include a check box for attestation regarding the health care professional’s compliance with this
166	166	139Act
167	167	140 Upon performing a pre-participation physical examination required under this Act, the
168	168	141physician, advanced practice nurse, or physician assistant shall sign the certification statement on
169	169	142the Preparticipation Physical Evaluation form required pursuant to this Act attesting to the
170	170	143completion of the module. The board of education of a public school district and the governing
171	171	144board or chief school administrator of a nonpublic school shall retain the original signed 8 of 8
172	172	145statement to attest to the qualification of the health care practitioner to perform the physical
173	173	146examination required under this Act.
174	174	147 (i) The office of consumer affairs and business regulation, the office of public safety and
175	175	148inspections, and the department of elementary and secondary education, pursuant to the
176	176	149“Administrative Procedure Act” and in consultation with the department of public health, shall
177	177	150adopt rules and regulations to effectuate the purposes of this act.