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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to youth injury mitigation and information training for |
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coaches and youth athletics personnel. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subtitle B, Title 13, Occupations Code, is |
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amended by adding Chapter 2053 to read as follows: |
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CHAPTER 2053. COACHES AND ATHLETICS PERSONNEL |
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Sec. 2053.001. SHORT TITLE. This chapter may be cited as |
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the Coach Safely Act. |
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Sec. 2053.002. DEFINITIONS. In this chapter: |
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(1) "Association" means an organization that |
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administers or conducts high-risk youth athletics activities on |
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property owned, leased, managed, or maintained by this state, an |
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agent of this state, or a state agency or political subdivision of |
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this state. |
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(2) "Athletics personnel" means athletic directors |
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and other persons actively involved in organizing, training, or |
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coaching sports activities for youth who are 14 years of age or |
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younger. |
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(3) "Coach" means any individual, whether paid, |
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unpaid, volunteer, or interim, who an association has approved to |
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organize, train, or supervise a youth athlete or team of youth |
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athletes. If an individual approved by the association is |
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unavailable, the term may include an individual selected by a youth |
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athlete or a team of youth athletes who has not been approved by the |
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association. |
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(4) "High-risk youth athletics activities" means any |
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organized sport with a significant possibility for a youth athlete |
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participating in the sport to sustain a serious physical injury, |
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including: |
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(A) baseball; |
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(B) basketball; |
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(C) cheerleading; |
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(D) field hockey; |
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(E) football; |
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(F) ice hockey; |
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(G) lacrosse; |
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(H) soccer; and |
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(I) volleyball. |
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(5) "Youth athlete" means an individual younger than |
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15 years of age that participates in an organized sport. |
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Sec. 2053.003. APPLICABILITY AND CONSTRUCTION OF CHAPTER. |
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(a) This chapter does not apply to: |
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(1) athletic trainers; |
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(2) physicians licensed to practice medicine in this |
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state; |
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(3) nurses licensed to practice nursing in this state; |
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(4) first responders; and |
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(5) any other health care professionals with acute |
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traumatic life support training. |
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(b) This chapter does not: |
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(1) eliminate the involvement of athletic trainers at |
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youth athletic events; or |
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(2) impose any additional liability on political |
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subdivisions of this state. |
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Sec. 2053.004. TRAINING POLICY; YOUTH INJURY MITIGATION AND |
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INFORMATION COURSE. (a) A youth athletics association that |
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sponsors or conducts sports training or high-risk youth athletic |
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activities for youth athletes shall adopt a policy to require all |
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the association's coaches and athletics personnel to complete, if |
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available at no cost, a youth injury mitigation and information |
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course that provides information on and awareness of actions and |
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measures that may be used to decrease the likelihood of a youth |
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athlete sustaining a serious injury while engaged or participating |
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in a high-risk youth athletic activity. The course may be online or |
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in person and must be approved by the Department of State Health |
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Services. |
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(b) A youth injury mitigation and information course must |
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provide information on: |
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(1) emergency preparedness, planning, and rehearsal |
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for traumatic injuries; |
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(2) concussions and head trauma; |
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(3) heat and extreme weather-related injury |
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familiarization; |
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(4) physical conditioning and training equipment |
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usage; and |
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(5) heart defects and abnormalities leading to sudden |
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cardiac arrest and death. |
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(c) A person required to complete a youth injury mitigation |
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and information course under this section must complete the course |
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not later than the 30th day following the date the person becomes |
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actively engaged in or serves as a coach or member of the athletic |
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personnel for an association. |
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(d) A person required to take a youth injury mitigation and |
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information course under this section shall annually complete the |
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course not later than the anniversary of the date the person became |
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actively engaged in serving as a coach or member of the athletics |
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personnel for an association. |
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Sec. 2053.005. RECORDS OF COURSE COMPLETION. An |
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association that conducts a high-risk youth athletic activity or |
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event that requires a coach or a member of the athletics personnel |
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to complete a youth injury mitigation and information course under |
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Section 2053.004 shall maintain a record of the individual's course |
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completion during the period the person serves as a coach or member |
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of the athletics personnel for that association. |
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Sec. 2053.006. IMMUNITY FROM LIABILITY. A coach or member |
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of the athletics personnel of an association is immune from civil |
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liability for any injury sustained by a youth athlete as a result of |
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participation in a high-risk youth athletic activity on |
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establishing that the coach or member: |
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(1) completed the injury mitigation and information |
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course required under Section 2053.004; and |
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(2) reasonably conformed their conduct to the safety |
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techniques and methods identified in the course. |
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SECTION 2. As soon as practicable after the effective date |
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of this Act, the executive commissioner of the Health and Human |
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Services Commission shall adopt the rules necessary to implement |
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Chapter 2053, Occupations Code, as added by this Act. |
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SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023. |