Bill Text: HI SR3 | 2018 | Regular Session | Introduced

Hawaii Senate Resolution 3 (Prior Session Legislation)

Introduced

Bill Title: Requesting The Governor To Establish A Task Force To Examine The Risk Of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy From Youth Football.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 7-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2018-01-26 - Referred to GVO/CPH, WAM. [SR3 Detail]

Download: Hawaii-2018-SR3-Introduced.html

THE SENATE	S.R. NO.	3
TWENTY-NINTH LEGISLATURE, 2018
STATE OF HAWAII

SENATE RESOLUTION

Requesting the governor to establish a task force to examine the risk of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy from youth football.

WHEREAS, chronic traumatic encephalopathy is a neurodegenerative disease found in people who have had multiple head injuries, primarily among athletes involved in contact sports; and

WHEREAS, USA Football, the national governing body for amateur American football in the United States, estimates that approximately three million young athletes participate in organized tackle football across the country; and

WHEREAS, there is substantial research showing that playing youth football creates a significant risk of permanent brain damage, including research finding evidence that:

(1) Participation in youth football before age twelve increases the risk of problems with behavioral regulation, apathy, and executive functioning by two-fold and increases the risk of clinically elevated depression scores by three-fold;

(2) Youth football players may incur hundreds of repetitive head impacts in one season, and that exposure to repetitive head impacts during a critical neurodevelopment period prior to age twelve may lead to greater later-life mood, behavioral, and cognitive impairments;

(3) Football practices were a major source of concussions at the youth, high school, and collegiate level; and

(4) Age at first exposure to head trauma could negatively affect grey matter more than total years of play; and

WHEREAS, Washington state has established precedent for state legislatures, creating laws governing youth football to protect the welfare of children; and

WHEREAS, Act 197, Session Laws of Hawaii 2012 (Act 197), required the development of a concussion educational program and a high school concussion awareness program; and

WHEREAS, Act 262, Session Laws of Hawaii 2016, expanded the scope of the concussion awareness program established by Act 197 to cover students ages eleven to eighteen and add program requirements; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Twenty-ninth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2018, that the Governor is requested to establish a task force to examine:

(1) The risk of chronic traumatic encephalopathy from youth football; and

(2) The effectiveness of the concussion monitoring and education program for school athletes and concussion awareness program for youth athletics established pursuant to Act 197, Session Laws of Hawaii 2012, as amended by Act 262, Session Laws of Hawaii 2016, and the need for any revision; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force is requested to include the following members:

(1) The Governor, or the Governor's designee;

(2) The Director of Health, or the Director's designee;

(3) A Deputy Superintendent of the Department of Education, to be designated by the Superintendent;

(4) A member of the Senate, to be designated by the President of the Senate;

(5) A member of the House of Representatives, to be designated by the Speaker of the House of Representatives; and

(6) A member of the Board of Education to be designated by the Board Chairperson; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the members select a chairperson from amongst themselves; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the chairperson of the task force is requested to invite the following or their designees to join the task force:

(1) The Chair of the Hawaii High School Athletic Association Football Committee;

(2) The President of the Hawaii Athletic Trainers' Association;

(3) Members representing youth football coaches in the Pop Warner Leagues in the State; and

(4) Members representing medical professionals with expertise in concussions and traumatic brain injuries; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force is requested to submit a report of its findings and recommendations, including any proposed legislation, to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2019; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force be dissolved on June 30, 2019; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Governor, Director of Health, Chair of the Board of Education, Superintendent of Education, President of the Senate, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Executive Director of the Hawaii High School Athletic Association, and President of the Hawaii Athletic Trainers' Association.