[Second Reprint]

SENATE, No. 225

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

219th LEGISLATURE

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2020 SESSION

Sponsored by:

Senator  PATRICK J. DIEGNAN, JR.

District 18 (Middlesex)

Senator  SHIRLEY K. TURNER

District 15 (Hunterdon and Mercer)

Assemblywoman  VALERIE VAINIERI HUTTLE

District 37 (Bergen)

Assemblyman  RAJ MUKHERJI

District 33 (Hudson)

Assemblywoman  MILA M. JASEY

District 27 (Essex and Morris)

Co-Sponsored by:

Senator Pou and Assemblyman McKeon

SYNOPSIS

     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.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

     As reported by the Assembly Education Committee on May 12, 2021, with amendments.

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.