86R1942 SRS-F
By: Alvarado S.B. No. 1921
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to cardiac assessments of high school participants in
extracurricular 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 33, Education Code, is
amended by adding Section 33.096 to read as follows:
Sec. 33.096. CARDIAC ASSESSMENTS OF HIGH SCHOOL
PARTICIPANTS IN EXTRACURRICULAR ATHLETIC ACTIVITIES. (a) A school
district must require a district student who is required under
University Interscholastic League rule or policy to receive a
physical examination before being allowed to participate in an
athletic activity sponsored or sanctioned by the University
Interscholastic League to also have administered to the student an
electrocardiogram or echocardiogram before being allowed to
participate in the activity, including a practice for the activity,
as follows:
(1) one time before the student's first year of
participation at the ninth grade level or above; and
(2) if 11th grade is not the student's first year of
participation, another time before the student's subsequent year of
participation at the 11th grade level.
(b) This section does not create a cause of action or
liability against an appropriately licensed or certified health
care professional, a school district, or a district officer or
employee for the injury or death of a student participating in or
practicing for an athletic activity sponsored or sanctioned by the
University Interscholastic League based on or in connection with
the administration or evaluation of or reliance on an
electrocardiogram or on an echocardiogram.
(c) To facilitate the administration of electrocardiograms
or echocardiograms to students, a school district may:
(1) at the district's expense, partner with a
nonprofit entity to provide electrocardiograms or echocardiograms;
or
(2) elect to pay for the costs of administering
electrocardiograms or echocardiograms to students.
(d) The University Interscholastic League shall adopt rules
as necessary to administer this section.
(e) The rules adopted under Subsection (d) must include:
(1) criteria under which a school district may
demonstrate a hardship that allows the district to delay
administering required electrocardiograms or echocardiograms to
students under this section; and
(2) procedures that provide for granting a waiver from
administration of an electrocardiogram or echocardiogram to a
student if, for any reason, the parent or person standing in
parental relation to the student submits a written request for the
waiver.
SECTION 2. This Act applies beginning with the 2019-2020
school year.
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
Act takes effect September 1, 2019.