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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to cardiac assessments of high school participants in |
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extracurricular athletic activities sponsored or sanctioned by the |
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University 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 33, Education Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 33.096 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 33.096. CARDIAC ASSESSMENTS OF HIGH SCHOOL |
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PARTICIPANTS IN EXTRACURRICULAR ATHLETIC ACTIVITIES. (a) A school |
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district must require a district student who is required under |
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University Interscholastic League rule or policy to receive a |
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physical examination before being allowed to participate in an |
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athletic activity sponsored or sanctioned by the University |
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Interscholastic League to also have administered to the student an |
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electrocardiogram or echocardiogram before being allowed to |
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participate in the activity, including a practice for the activity, |
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as follows: |
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(1) one time before the student's first year of |
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participation at the ninth grade level or above; and |
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(2) if 11th grade is not the student's first year of |
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participation, another time before the student's subsequent year of |
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participation at the 11th grade level. |
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(b) This section does not create a cause of action or |
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liability against an appropriately licensed or certified health |
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care professional, a school district, or a district officer or |
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employee for the injury or death of a student participating in or |
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practicing for an athletic activity sponsored or sanctioned by the |
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University Interscholastic League based on or in connection with |
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the administration or evaluation of or reliance on an |
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electrocardiogram or on an echocardiogram. |
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(c) To facilitate the administration of electrocardiograms |
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or echocardiograms to students, a school district may: |
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(1) at the district's expense, partner with a |
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nonprofit entity to provide electrocardiograms or echocardiograms; |
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or |
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(2) elect to pay for the costs of administering |
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electrocardiograms or echocardiograms to students. |
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(d) The University Interscholastic League shall adopt rules |
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as necessary to administer this section. |
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(e) The rules adopted under Subsection (d) must include: |
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(1) criteria under which a school district may |
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demonstrate a hardship that allows the district to delay |
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administering required electrocardiograms or echocardiograms to |
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students under this section; and |
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(2) procedures that provide for granting a waiver from |
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administration of an electrocardiogram or echocardiogram to a |
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student if, for any reason, the parent or person standing in |
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parental relation to the student submits a written request for the |
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waiver. |
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SECTION 2. This Act applies beginning with the 2019-2020 |
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school year. |
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SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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Act takes effect September 1, 2019. |