By: Lucio III, Bonnen of Galveston, H.B. No. 887
Villarreal
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to safety measures to protect students participating in
athletic activities sponsored or sanctioned by the University
Interscholastic League.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Subchapter D, Chapter 38, Education Code, is
amended by adding Section 38.161 to read as follows:
Sec. 38.161. SPORTS INJURY PILOT PROGRAM. (a) The agency
shall establish a sports injury pilot program for students
participating in a University Interscholastic League athletic
program to evaluate concussion prevention methods used for
full-contact athletic drills or live game simulations or athletic
competitions in which there is full contact among students. The
commissioner shall select school districts of this state that are
representative of all regions and sizes to participate in the
program
.
(b) The program must include:
(1) a preseason physical examination of a student
athlete performed by a physician or another appropriate licensed
health care professional acting under physician delegation;
(2) preseason neurocognitive baseline testing of a
student athlete;
(3) a return-to-play protocol as described by this
subchapter;
(4) post-injury neurocognitive testing of a student
athlete;
(5) access to a physician, or another appropriate
licensed health care professional acting under physician
delegation, trained in the diagnosis and management of a
concussion; and
(6) an excess accident insurance policy that is
designed to cover the expenses related to the identification and
treatment of a concussion.
(c) Not later than December 31, 2014, the commissioner shall
review the pilot program established under this section and submit
to the governor, the lieutenant governor, the speaker of the house
of representatives, and the Legislative Budget Board a written
report regarding the progress made under the pilot program in the
identification and treatment of concussions.
(d) Using funds appropriated or available for the purpose,
the agency may contract with a school of public health or medicine
in this state to scientifically evaluate the effectiveness of
various methods of improving access to and quality of medical care
for athletes who have sustained a concussion.
(e) This section expires September 1, 2017.
SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2013.