Bill Text: NJ A1672 | 2014-2015 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Requires youth sports team organizations or cheerleading programs to implement written head injury policies.*
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 4-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2014-06-12 - Reported out of Assembly Comm. with Amendments, 2nd Reading [A1672 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2014-A1672-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
216th LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2014 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman GORDON M. JOHNSON
District 37 (Bergen)
Assemblyman CHARLES MAINOR
District 31 (Hudson)
Assemblyman BENJIE E. WIMBERLY
District 35 (Bergen and Passaic)
SYNOPSIS
Requires youth sports team organizations to implement written head injury policies.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel
An Act concerning head injuries and youth athletes and supplementing Title 5 of the Revised Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. All youth sports team organizations shall implement a written policy concerning the prevention and treatment of sports-related concussions and other head injuries among youth athletes.
b. The policies shall be consistent with the provisions of the model policy established by the Commissioner of Education pursuant to section 3 of P.L.2010, c.94 (C.18A:40-41.3) and shall include, but not be limited to: pre-season baseline testing of all youth athlete participants; provision of educational information on prevention of head injuries in youth athletes to parents or guardians of participants; training on early identification and treatment of head injuries for coaches and athletic directors; and immediate removal of participants who are suspected of having sustained a head injury from practice or competition until evaluated and cleared by a physician or other licensed healthcare provider trained in the evaluation and management of concussions.
c. The policies implemented in accordance with this section shall be in effect by the 120th day following the effective date of this act and shall be reviewed annually and updated as necessary, by the youth sports team organization to ensure that it reflects the most current information available on the prevention, risk, and treatment of sports-related concussions and other head injuries.
d. As used in this section, a "youth sports team organization" means one or more sports teams organized pursuant to a nonprofit or similar charter or which are member teams in a league organized by or affiliated with a county or municipal recreation department.
2. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill requires youth sports team organizations to implement a written policy concerning the prevention and treatment of sports-related concussions and other head injuries among youth athletes.
Under current law, school districts are obligated to have implemented such policies for participants in interscholastic athletics. This bill extends that requirement to youth sports team organizations. As used in the bill, a "youth sports team organization" means one or more sports teams organized pursuant to a nonprofit or similar charter or which are member teams in a league organized by or affiliated with a county or municipal recreation department.
The bill requires the policies to be consistent with the provisions of the model policy established by the Commissioner of Education. They shall include, but not be limited to: pre-season baseline testing of all youth athlete participants; provision of educational information on prevention of head injuries in youth athletes to parents or guardians of participants; training on early identification and treatment of head injuries for coaches and athletic directors; and immediate removal of participants who are suspected of having sustained a head injury from practice or competition until evaluated and cleared by a physician or other licensed healthcare provider trained in the evaluation and management of concussions.
