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