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House Bill 2038 |
House Author: Price et al. |
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Effective: 6-17-11 |
Senate Sponsor: Deuell et al. |
House Bill 2038 amends the Education Code to enact Natasha's Law, requiring the governing body of each school district and open-enrollment charter school with students who participate in a sponsored or sanctioned interscholastic athletic activity, including practice and competition, to appoint or approve a concussion oversight team that is required to establish a return-to-play protocol for a student's return to interscholastic athletics practice or competition following the force or impact believed to have caused a concussion. The bill prohibits a student from participating in an interscholastic athletic activity for a school year until both the student and the student's parent or guardian or another person with legal authority to make medical decisions for the student have signed a form acknowledging certain concussion information, requires a student to be removed from an interscholastic athletics practice or competition immediately if a coach, a physician, a licensed health care professional, or the student's parent or guardian or another person with legal authority to make medical decisions for the student believes the student might have sustained a concussion during the practice or competition, and sets out conditions that must be met in order for such a student to be permitted to practice or compete again. The bill requires supervision of an athletic trainer or other person responsible for compliance with the return-to-play protocol and prohibits a coach of an interscholastic athletics team from authorizing a student's return to play or being the person who has supervisory responsibilities regarding compliance with the protocol.
House Bill 2038 requires the University Interscholastic League to approve for coaches of interscholastic athletic activities training courses in the subject matter of concussions, requires the Department of State Health Services Advisory Board of Athletic Trainers to approve for athletic trainers training courses in that subject matter, and requires both entities to maintain an updated list of individuals and organizations authorized to provide such training. The bill sets out training course requirements for coaches and for licensed health care professionals who serve as members of a concussion oversight team and prohibits a licensed health care professional who is not in compliance with the training requirements from serving on a concussion oversight team in any capacity. The bill sets out provisions relating to immunity from liability of school districts, open-enrollment charter schools, district or charter school officers or employees, and members of a concussion oversight team and authorizes the commissioner of education to adopt rules as necessary to implement provisions relating to the prevention, treatment, and oversight of concussions affecting student athletes.