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1 | AN ACT concerning education.
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2 | Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
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3 | represented in the General Assembly:
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4 | Section 5. The School Code is amended by renumbering and | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
5 | changing Sections 10-20.54 and 34-18.46 as follows: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
6 | (105 ILCS 5/10-20.54) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
7 | Sec. 10-20.54 10-20.53 . Student athletes; concussions and | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
8 | head injuries. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
9 | (a) The General Assembly recognizes all of the following: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
10 | (1) Concussions are one of the most commonly reported | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
11 | injuries in children and adolescents who participate in | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
12 | sports and recreational activities. The Centers for | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
13 | Disease Control and Prevention estimates that as many as | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
14 | 3,900,000 sports-related and recreation-related | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
15 | concussions occur in the United States each year. A | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
16 | concussion is caused by a blow or motion to the head or | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
17 | body that causes the brain to move rapidly inside the | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
18 | skull. The risk of catastrophic injuries or death are | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
19 | significant when a concussion or head injury is not | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
20 | properly evaluated and managed. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
21 | (2) Concussions are a type of brain injury that can | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
22 | range from mild to severe and can disrupt the way the brain | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
23 | normally works. Concussions can occur in any organized or |
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1 | unorganized sport or recreational activity and can result | ||||||
2 | from a fall or from players colliding with each other, the | ||||||
3 | ground, or with obstacles. Concussions occur with or | ||||||
4 | without loss of consciousness, but the vast majority of | ||||||
5 | concussions occur without loss of consciousness. | ||||||
6 | (3) Continuing to play with a concussion or symptoms of | ||||||
7 | a head injury leaves a young athlete especially vulnerable | ||||||
8 | to greater injury and even death. The General Assembly | ||||||
9 | recognizes that, despite having generally recognized | ||||||
10 | return-to-play standards for concussions and head | ||||||
11 | injuries, some affected youth athletes are prematurely | ||||||
12 | returned to play, resulting in actual or potential physical | ||||||
13 | injury or death to youth athletes in this State. | ||||||
14 | (b) Each school board shall adopt a policy regarding | ||||||
15 | student athlete concussions and head injuries that is in | ||||||
16 | compliance with the protocols, policies, and by-laws of the | ||||||
17 | Illinois High School Association. In addition, the policy shall | ||||||
18 | require that a student athlete who is suspected of sustaining a | ||||||
19 | concussion or head injury in a practice or game be removed from | ||||||
20 | play at that time. The policy shall provide that a student | ||||||
21 | athlete who has been removed from play may not return
to play | ||||||
22 | until the student athlete is evaluated by a licensed
health | ||||||
23 | care provider trained in the evaluation and management
of | ||||||
24 | concussions and head injuries and the student athlete
receives | ||||||
25 | written clearance to return to play from that health
care | ||||||
26 | provider. |
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1 | Information on the school board's concussion and head | ||||||
2 | injury policy must be a part of any agreement, contract, code, | ||||||
3 | or other written instrument that a school district requires a | ||||||
4 | student athlete and his or her parents or guardian to sign | ||||||
5 | before participating in practice or interscholastic | ||||||
6 | competition. | ||||||
7 | (c) The Illinois High School Association shall make | ||||||
8 | available to all school districts, including elementary school | ||||||
9 | districts, education materials, such as visual presentations | ||||||
10 | and other written materials, that describe the nature and risk | ||||||
11 | of concussions and head injuries. Each school district shall | ||||||
12 | use education materials provided by the Illinois High School | ||||||
13 | Association to educate coaches, student athletes, and parents | ||||||
14 | and guardians of student athletes about the nature and risk of | ||||||
15 | concussions and head injuries, including continuing play after | ||||||
16 | a concussion or head injury.
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17 | (Source: P.A. 97-204, eff. 7-28-11; revised 10-7-11.) | ||||||
18 | (105 ILCS 5/34-18.46) | ||||||
19 | Sec. 34-18.46 34-18.45 . Student athletes; concussions and | ||||||
20 | head injuries. | ||||||
21 | (a) The General Assembly recognizes all of the following: | ||||||
22 | (1) Concussions are one of the most commonly reported | ||||||
23 | injuries in children and adolescents who participate in | ||||||
24 | sports and recreational activities. The Centers for | ||||||
25 | Disease Control and Prevention estimates that as many as |
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1 | 3,900,000 sports-related and recreation-related | ||||||
2 | concussions occur in the United States each year. A | ||||||
3 | concussion is caused by a blow or motion to the head or | ||||||
4 | body that causes the brain to move rapidly inside the | ||||||
5 | skull. The risk of catastrophic injuries or death are | ||||||
6 | significant when a concussion or head injury is not | ||||||
7 | properly evaluated and managed. | ||||||
8 | (2) Concussions are a type of brain injury that can | ||||||
9 | range from mild to severe and can disrupt the way the brain | ||||||
10 | normally works. Concussions can occur in any organized or | ||||||
11 | unorganized sport or recreational activity and can result | ||||||
12 | from a fall or from players colliding with each other, the | ||||||
13 | ground, or with obstacles. Concussions occur with or | ||||||
14 | without loss of consciousness, but the vast majority of | ||||||
15 | concussions occur without loss of consciousness. | ||||||
16 | (3) Continuing to play with a concussion or symptoms of | ||||||
17 | a head injury leaves a young athlete especially vulnerable | ||||||
18 | to greater injury and even death. The General Assembly | ||||||
19 | recognizes that, despite having generally recognized | ||||||
20 | return-to-play standards for concussions and head | ||||||
21 | injuries, some affected youth athletes are prematurely | ||||||
22 | returned to play, resulting in actual or potential physical | ||||||
23 | injury or death to youth athletes in this State. | ||||||
24 | (b) The board shall adopt a policy regarding student | ||||||
25 | athlete concussions and head injuries that is in compliance | ||||||
26 | with the protocols, policies, and by-laws of the Illinois High |
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1 | School Association. In addition, the policy shall require that | ||||||
2 | a student athlete who is suspected of sustaining a concussion | ||||||
3 | or head injury in a practice or game be removed from play at | ||||||
4 | that time. The policy shall provide that a student athlete who | ||||||
5 | has been removed from play may not return
to play until the | ||||||
6 | student athlete is evaluated by a licensed
health care provider | ||||||
7 | trained in the evaluation and management
of concussions and | ||||||
8 | head injuries and the student athlete
receives written | ||||||
9 | clearance to return to play from that health
care provider. | ||||||
10 | Information on the board's concussion and head injury | ||||||
11 | policy must be a part of any agreement, contract, code, or | ||||||
12 | other written instrument that the school district requires a | ||||||
13 | student athlete and his or her parents or guardian to sign | ||||||
14 | before participating in practice or interscholastic | ||||||
15 | competition. | ||||||
16 | (c) The Illinois High School Association shall make | ||||||
17 | available to the school district education materials, such as | ||||||
18 | visual presentations and other written materials, that | ||||||
19 | describe the nature and risk of concussions and head injuries. | ||||||
20 | The school district shall use education materials provided by | ||||||
21 | the Illinois High School Association to educate coaches, | ||||||
22 | student athletes, and parents and guardians of student athletes | ||||||
23 | about the nature and risk of concussions and head injuries, | ||||||
24 | including continuing play after a concussion or head injury.
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25 | (Source: P.A. 97-204, eff. 7-28-11; revised 10-7-11.)
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