§1

C.18A:40-41.2a

§2

C.18A:40-41.3a

 


P.L. 2021, CHAPTER 222, approved September 24, 2021

Senate, No. 225 (Second Reprint)

 

 


An Act concerning the safety of certain student-athletes and amending and supplementing P.L.2010, c.94.

 

     Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

 

     1.    (New section) Within 180 days of the effective date of P.L.,     c.    (C.        ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill), the Department of Education shall revise the athletic head injury safety training program established pursuant to section 2 of P.L.2010, c.94 (C.18A:40-41.2) to include information on the graduated, 1[five-step] six-step1 “Return to Play Progression” recommendations developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.  2The department shall revise the athletic head injury safety program established pursuant to section 2 of P.L.2010, c.94 (C.18A:40-41.2) whenever the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention changes or otherwise updates the “Return to Play Progression” recommendations.2

 

      2.   (New section) 1[Within 180 days of the effective date of P.L.,      c.    (C.        ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill)] In the 2021-2022 school year1, a school district shall revise its written policy concerning the prevention and treatment of sports-related concussions and other head injuries among student-athletes and cheerleaders established pursuant to section 3 of P.L.2010, c.94 (C.18A:40-41.3) to include the graduated, 1[five-step] six-step1 “Return to Play Progression” recommendations developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 2A school district shall revise its written policy established pursuant to section 3 of P.L.2010, c.94 (C.18A:40-41.3) whenever the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention changes or otherwise updates the “Return to Play Progression” recommendations.2

 

      3.   Section 4 of P.L.2010, c.94 (C.18A:40-41.4) is amended to read as follows:

     4.    A student who participates in an interscholastic sports program, intramural sports program, or cheerleading program and who sustains or is suspected of having sustained a concussion or other head injury while engaged in a competition or practice shall be immediately removed from the competition or practice.  A student-athlete or cheerleader who is removed from competition or practice shall not participate in further sports or cheerleading activity until:

     a.     2[he] the student-athlete or cheerleader2 is evaluated by a physician or other licensed healthcare provider trained in the evaluation and management of concussions, and receives written clearance from a physician trained in the evaluation and management of concussions to return to competition or practice; and

     b.    2[he] the student-athlete or cheerleader2 returns to regular school activities and is no longer experiencing symptoms of the injury when conducting those activities.

     The return of a student-athlete or cheerleader to competition or practice shall be in accordance with the graduated, 1[five-step] six-step1 “Return to Play Progression” recommendations 2and any subsequent changes or other updates to those recommendations as2 developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

(cf: P.L.2017, c.105, s.2)

 

     4.    This act shall take effect immediately.

 

 

                                

 

     Provides that student-athlete who sustains concussion must return to regular school activities prior to return to competition; requires school districts to implement six-step return-to-competition process.