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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to safety measures to protect students participating in |
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athletic activities sponsored or sanctioned by the University |
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Interscholastic League. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subchapter D, Chapter 38, Education Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 38.161 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 38.161. SPORTS INJURY PILOT PROGRAM. (a) The agency |
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shall establish a sports injury pilot program for students |
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participating in a University Interscholastic League athletic |
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program to evaluate concussion prevention methods used for |
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full-contact athletic drills or live game simulations or athletic |
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competitions in which there is full contact among students. The |
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commissioner shall select school districts of this state that are |
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representative of all regions and sizes to participate in the |
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program |
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. |
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(b) The program must include: |
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(1) a preseason physical examination of a student |
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athlete performed by a physician or another appropriate licensed |
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health care professional acting under physician delegation; |
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(2) preseason neurocognitive baseline testing of a |
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student athlete; |
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(3) a return-to-play protocol as described by this |
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subchapter; |
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(4) post-injury neurocognitive testing of a student |
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athlete; |
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(5) access to a physician, or another appropriate |
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licensed health care professional acting under physician |
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delegation, trained in the diagnosis and management of a |
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concussion; and |
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(6) an excess accident insurance policy that is |
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designed to cover the expenses related to the identification and |
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treatment of a concussion. |
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(c) Not later than December 31, 2014, the commissioner shall |
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review the pilot program established under this section and submit |
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to the governor, the lieutenant governor, the speaker of the house |
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of representatives, and the Legislative Budget Board a written |
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report regarding the progress made under the pilot program in the |
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identification and treatment of concussions. |
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(d) Using funds appropriated or available for the purpose, |
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the agency may contract with a school of public health or medicine |
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in this state to scientifically evaluate the effectiveness of |
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various methods of improving access to and quality of medical care |
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for athletes who have sustained a concussion. |
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(e) This section expires September 1, 2017. |
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SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2013. |