Florida Senate – 2012 SB 256
By Senator Flores
38-00159-12 2012256__
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to youth and student athletes;
3 amending s. 943.0438, F.S.; requiring independent
4 sanctioning authorities to adopt policies to inform
5 certain officials, coaches, and youth athletes and
6 their parents of the nature and risk of certain head
7 injuries; requiring that a signed consent form be
8 obtained before the youth participates in athletic
9 practices or competitions; requiring that a youth
10 athlete be immediately removed from an athletic
11 activity following a suspected head injury; requiring
12 written clearance from a medical professional before
13 the youth resumes athletic activities; authorizing a
14 physician to delegate the performance of medical care
15 to a licensed or certified health care practitioner
16 and consult with or use testing and the evaluation of
17 cognitive functions performed by a licensed
18 neuropsychologist; amending s. 1006.20, F.S.;
19 requiring the Florida High School Athletic Association
20 to adopt policies to inform certain officials,
21 coaches, and student athletes and their parents of the
22 nature and risk of certain head injuries; requiring
23 that a signed consent form be obtained before a
24 student athlete participates in athletic practices or
25 competitions; requiring that a student athlete be
26 immediately removed from an athletic activity
27 following a suspected head injury; requiring written
28 clearance from a medical professional before the
29 student resumes athletic activities; authorizing a
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Florida Senate – 2012 SB 256
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30 physician to delegate the performance of medical care
31 to a licensed or certified health care practitioner
32 and consult with or use testing and the evaluation of
33 cognitive functions performed by a licensed
34 neuropsychologist; providing an effective date.
35
36 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
37
38 Section 1. Paragraph (e) is added to subsection (2) of
39 section 943.0438, Florida Statutes, to read:
40 943.0438 Athletic coaches for independent sanctioning
41 authorities.—
42 (2) An independent sanctioning authority shall:
43 (e)1. Adopt guidelines to educate officials,
44 administrators, athletic coaches, and youth athletes and their
45 parents or guardians of the nature and risk of concussion and
46 head injury.
47 2. Adopt bylaws or policies that require the parent or
48 guardian of a minor who participates in athletic practices or
49 competitions of the independent sanctioning authority, before
50 the minor participates in a competition, practice, or other
51 activity, to sign and return a consent form that explains the
52 nature and risk of concussion and head injury, including the
53 risk of continuing to play after a concussion or head injury has
54 occurred.
55 3. Adopt bylaws or policies that require a youth athlete
56 who is suspected of sustaining a concussion or head injury in a
57 practice or competition to be immediately removed from the
58 activity. A youth athlete who has been removed may not return to
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59 practice or competition until the youth receives written
60 clearance to return from a physician who is licensed under
61 chapter 458 or chapter 459. Before issuing a written clearance
62 to return to practice or competition, a physician may:
63 a. Delegate the performance of medical care to a health
64 care provider who is licensed or certified under s. 464.012, s.
65 458.347, s. 459.022, or s. 468.701, with whom the physician
66 maintains a formal supervisory relationship or established
67 written protocol that identifies the medical care or evaluations
68 to be performed, identifies conditions for performing medical
69 care or evaluations, and attests to proficiency in the
70 evaluation and management of concussions; and
71 b. Consult with or use testing and the evaluation of
72 cognitive functions performed by a neuropsychologist licensed
73 under chapter 490.
74 Section 2. Paragraphs (e), (f), and (g) are added to
75 subsection (2) of section 1006.20, Florida Statutes, to read:
76 1006.20 Athletics in public K-12 schools.—
77 (2) ADOPTION OF BYLAWS.—
78 (e) The organization shall adopt guidelines to educate
79 officials, administrators, coaches, and student athletes and
80 their parents or guardians of the nature and risk of concussion
81 and head injury.
82 (f) The organization shall adopt bylaws or policies that
83 require the parent or guardian of a student who participates in
84 interscholastic athletic competition or who is a candidate for
85 an interscholastic athletic team, before the student
86 participates in a competition, practice, or other activity, to
87 annually sign and return a consent form that explains the nature
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88 and risk of concussion and head injury, including the risk of
89 continuing to play after a concussion or head injury has
90 occurred.
91 (g) The organization shall adopt bylaws or policies that
92 require a student athlete who is suspected of sustaining a
93 concussion or head injury in a practice or competition to be
94 immediately removed from the activity. A student athlete who has
95 been removed may not return to practice or competition until the
96 student receives written clearance to return from a physician
97 who is licensed under chapter 458 or chapter 459. Before issuing
98 a written clearance to return to practice or competition, a
99 physician may:
100 1. Delegate the performance of medical care to a health
101 care practitioner who is licensed or certified under s. 464.012,
102 s. 458.347, s. 459.022, or s. 468.701, with whom the physician
103 maintains a formal supervisory relationship or established
104 written protocol that identifies the medical care or evaluations
105 to be performed, identifies the conditions for their
106 performance, and attests to proficiency in the evaluation and
107 management of concussions; and
108 2. Consult with or use testing and the evaluation of
109 cognitive functions performed by a neuropsychologist licensed
110 under chapter 490.
111 Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2012.
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