Sponsored by:
Senator PAUL A. SARLO
District 36 (Bergen and Passaic)
Senator MICHAEL L. TESTA, JR.
District 1 (Atlantic, Cape May and Cumberland)
SYNOPSIS
Waives physical examination requirement for certain student-athletes who participate in school-sponsored athletic activities during 2020-2021 school year.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning physical examination requirements for certain student-athletes during the 2020-2021 school year.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, during the 2020-2021 school year, the Commissioner of Education shall waive the requirement to complete an annual preparticipation physical examination, as required under section 2 of P.L.2013, c.71 (C.18A:40-41.7), for any student-athlete who completed:
(1) a physical examination in accordance with section 2 of P.L.2013, c.71 (C.18A:40-41.7) during the 2019-2020 school year; or
(2) a physical examination that allowed the student to participate on a school-sponsored interscholastic or intramural athletic team or squad during the 2019-2020 school year.
b. (1) A student-athlete who receives a waiver under subsection a. of this section, and participates on a school-sponsored interscholastic or intramural athletic team or squad during the 2020-2021 school year, shall provide the health history update questionnaire required under subsection b. of section 2 of P.L.2013, c.71 (C.18A:40-41.7) before the first day of official practice of an athletic season in which the student-athlete participates.
(2) If the student-athlete answers in the affirmative to any question included in the health history update questionnaire, then the student-athlete shall not participate on the school-sponsored interscholastic or intramural athletic team or squad until he is further evaluated by the school physician, or if a school physician is not available, any other licensed physician.
c. As used in this section, “student-athlete” means a student enrolled in grades six to 12 who participates on a school-sponsored interscholastic or intramural athletic team or squad and includes transfer students.
2. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill waives the annual physical examination requirement for certain student-athletes who participate in school-sponsored athletic activities during the 2020-2021 school year.
Under current law, before a student enrolled in grades six through 12 may participate in a school-sponsored interscholastic or intramural athletic activity, the student-athlete is required to receive a physical examination within 365 days before the first day of official practice of the athletic season. When a student-athlete’s physical examination was completed more than 90 days before the first day of official practice, current law also requires the student-athlete to provide a health history update questionnaire, which is completed by the student’s parent or guardian and reviewed by the school nurse and athletic trainer.
Due to the impact of COVID-19 on the State’s health care system, this bill requires the Commissioner of Education to waive the annual preparticipation physical examination requirement during the 2020-2021 school year for any student-athlete who completed: (1) a preparticipation physical examination during the 2019-2020 school year; or (2) a preparticipation physical examination that allowed the student to participate in a school-sponsored athletic activity during the 2019-2020 school year.
The bill also provides that if a student-athlete receives the physical examination waiver and participates in a school-sponsored athletic activity during the 2020-2021 school year, then the student-athlete would be required to provide a health history update questionnaire before the first day of official practice of each athletic season in which the student-athlete participates. If the student-athlete answers in the affirmative to any question included in the health history update questionnaire, then the student-athlete may not participate in the school-sponsored athletic activity until he is further evaluated by the school physician, or if a school physician is not available, any other licensed physician.