| 1 | 1 | | |
|---|
| 2 | 2 | | |
|---|
| 3 | 3 | | |
|---|
| 4 | 4 | | |
|---|
| 5 | 5 | | 2025 -- S 0320 |
|---|
| 6 | 6 | | ======== |
|---|
| 7 | 7 | | LC001561 |
|---|
| 8 | 8 | | ======== |
|---|
| 9 | 9 | | S T A T E O F R H O D E I S L A N D |
|---|
| 10 | 10 | | IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY |
|---|
| 11 | 11 | | JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2025 |
|---|
| 12 | 12 | | ____________ |
|---|
| 13 | 13 | | |
|---|
| 14 | 14 | | A N A C T |
|---|
| 15 | 15 | | RELATING TO EDUCATION -- SCHOOL AND YOUTH PROGRAMS CONCUSSION ACT |
|---|
| 16 | 16 | | Introduced By: Senators Felag, LaMountain, Britto, and Urso |
|---|
| 17 | 17 | | Date Introduced: February 21, 2025 |
|---|
| 18 | 18 | | Referred To: Senate Education |
|---|
| 19 | 19 | | |
|---|
| 20 | 20 | | |
|---|
| 21 | 21 | | It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows: |
|---|
| 22 | 22 | | SECTION 1. Section 16-91-3 of the General Laws in Chapter 16-91 entitled "School and 1 |
|---|
| 23 | 23 | | Youth Programs Concussion Act" is hereby amended to read as follows: 2 |
|---|
| 24 | 24 | | 16-91-3. School district’s guidelines to be developed and implemented. 3 |
|---|
| 25 | 25 | | (a) The department of education and the department of health shall work in concert with 4 |
|---|
| 26 | 26 | | the Rhode Island Interscholastic League to develop and promulgate guidelines to inform and 5 |
|---|
| 27 | 27 | | educate coaches, teachers, school nurses, youth athletes, and their parents and/or guardians of the 6 |
|---|
| 28 | 28 | | nature and risk of concussion and head injury, including continuing to play after concussion or head 7 |
|---|
| 29 | 29 | | injury. A concussion and head injury information sheet shall be signed and returned by the youth 8 |
|---|
| 30 | 30 | | athlete and the athlete’s parent and/or guardian prior to the youth athlete’s return to practice or 9 |
|---|
| 31 | 31 | | competition. 10 |
|---|
| 32 | 32 | | (b) School districts are required to use training materials made available by the United 11 |
|---|
| 33 | 33 | | States Center for Disease Control and Prevention entitled “Heads Up: Concussion in the High 12 |
|---|
| 34 | 34 | | School Sports/Concussion in Youth Sports” and any updates or amendments thereto, or training 13 |
|---|
| 35 | 35 | | materials substantively and substantially similar thereto. The department of education shall post 14 |
|---|
| 36 | 36 | | training materials made available by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention and the Rhode 15 |
|---|
| 37 | 37 | | Island Interscholastic League on its website. All coaches and volunteers involved in a youth sport 16 |
|---|
| 38 | 38 | | or activity covered by this chapter must complete a training course and a refresher course annually 17 |
|---|
| 39 | 39 | | thereafter in concussions and traumatic brain injuries. All school nurses must complete a training 18 |
|---|
| 40 | 40 | | course and an annual refresher course in concussions and traumatic brain injuries. Teachers and 19 |
|---|
| 41 | 41 | | |
|---|
| 42 | 42 | | |
|---|
| 43 | 43 | | LC001561 - Page 2 of 3 |
|---|
| 44 | 44 | | teachers’ aides are strongly encouraged to complete the training course in concussions and 1 |
|---|
| 45 | 45 | | traumatic brain injuries. Training may consist of videos, classes, and any other generally accepted 2 |
|---|
| 46 | 46 | | mode and medium of providing information. 3 |
|---|
| 47 | 47 | | (c) School districts are encouraged to have all student athletes perform baseline 4 |
|---|
| 48 | 48 | | neuropsychological testing, computerized or otherwise. Parents and/or guardians shall be provided 5 |
|---|
| 49 | 49 | | with information as to the risk of concussion and/or traumatic brain injuries prior to the start of 6 |
|---|
| 50 | 50 | | every sport season and they shall sign an acknowledgement as to their receipt of such information. 7 |
|---|
| 51 | 51 | | (d) A youth student athlete, who is suspected of sustaining a concussion or head injury in 8 |
|---|
| 52 | 52 | | a practice or game, shall be removed from competition at that time. 9 |
|---|
| 53 | 53 | | (e) A youth student athlete, who has been removed from play, may not return to play until 10 |
|---|
| 54 | 54 | | the athlete is evaluated by a licensed physician who may consult with an athletic trainer, all of 11 |
|---|
| 55 | 55 | | whom shall be trained in the evaluation and management of concussions. The athlete must receive 12 |
|---|
| 56 | 56 | | written clearance to return to play from that licensed physician. 13 |
|---|
| 57 | 57 | | (f) All school districts are encouraged to have an athletic trainer designated at each 14 |
|---|
| 58 | 58 | | secondary school within a district; provided, however, that notwithstanding the foregoing, all 15 |
|---|
| 59 | 59 | | school districts shall be required to designate an athletic trainer licensed pursuant to chapter 60 of 16 |
|---|
| 60 | 60 | | title 5 for each high school within its district, or similarly trained person, at all recreational and 17 |
|---|
| 61 | 61 | | athletic events addressed by this statute. 18 |
|---|
| 62 | 62 | | SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage. 19 |
|---|
| 63 | 63 | | ======== |
|---|
| 64 | 64 | | LC001561 |
|---|
| 65 | 65 | | ======== |
|---|
| 66 | 66 | | |
|---|
| 67 | 67 | | |
|---|
| 68 | 68 | | LC001561 - Page 3 of 3 |
|---|
| 69 | 69 | | EXPLANATION |
|---|
| 70 | 70 | | BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL |
|---|
| 71 | 71 | | OF |
|---|
| 72 | 72 | | A N A C T |
|---|
| 73 | 73 | | RELATING TO EDUCATION -- SCHOOL AND YOUTH PROGRAMS CONCUSSIO N ACT |
|---|
| 74 | 74 | | *** |
|---|
| 75 | 75 | | This act would require all school districts to designate a certified athletic trainer at each 1 |
|---|
| 76 | 76 | | high school within its district. 2 |
|---|
| 77 | 77 | | This act would take effect upon passage. 3 |
|---|
| 78 | 78 | | ======== |
|---|
| 79 | 79 | | LC001561 |
|---|
| 80 | 80 | | ======== |
|---|
| 81 | 81 | | |
|---|