99TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2015 and 2016
HB0127

 

Introduced , by Rep. Mary E. Flowers

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
20 ILCS 2310/2310-685 new

    Amends the Department of Public Health Powers and Duties Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois. Requires the Department of Public Health to establish a 3-year pilot program for the Chicago school district in which the Department shall require an electrocardiogram (EKG) test as part of the health examination that student athletes are required to undergo. Requires the Department and the State Board of Education to develop and post on their publicly accessible Internet websites guidelines and other relevant materials to inform and educate students participating in or desiring to participate in an athletic activity, their parents, and their coaches about the nature and warning signs of sudden cardiac arrest. Sets forth provisions concerning a sudden cardiac arrest symptoms and warning signs information sheet, informational meetings regarding the symptoms and warning signs of sudden cardiac arrest, and a sudden cardiac arrest training course. Provides that (i) a public school student who exhibits signs or symptoms of sudden cardiac arrest while participating in an athletic activity must be removed by the coach from participation at that time, (ii) if a student is known to have exhibited signs or symptoms of sudden cardiac arrest at any time prior to or following an athletic activity, the student must be prevented from participating in an athletic activity, and (iii) a student removed or prevented from participating in an athletic activity shall not return to participation until the student is evaluated and cleared for return to participation in writing by a physician licensed to practice medicine in all of its branches, certified nurse practitioner, or cardiologist; sets forth penalties.


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FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY
STATE MANDATES ACT MAY REQUIRE REIMBURSEMENT

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

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1    AN ACT concerning education.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 1. Findings. The General Assembly makes the
5following findings:
6        (1) efforts must be made to protect student athletes
7    from sudden cardiac arrest, which claims 7,000 young lives
8    a year;
9        (2) of those 7,000 lives lost, the vast majority did
10    not know they had a problem;
11        (3) heart screening to identify those persons at risk
12    for sudden cardiac death saves lives; and
13        (4) it is imperative that coaches and student athletes
14    learn about the possible symptoms of sudden cardiac arrest
15    and that student athletes get screened.
 
16    Section 5. The Department of Public Health Powers and
17Duties Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois is
18amended by adding Section 2310-685 as follows:
 
19    (20 ILCS 2310/2310-685 new)
20    Sec. 2310-685. Sudden cardiac arrest prevention.
21    (a) In this Section:
22    "Athletic activity" means all of the following:

 

 

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1        (1) Interscholastic athletics.
2        (2) An athletic contest or competition, other than
3    interscholastic athletics, that is sponsored by or
4    associated with a public school, including cheerleading,
5    club-sponsored sports activities, and sports activities
6    sponsored by school-affiliated organizations.
7        (3) Noncompetitive cheerleading that is sponsored by
8    or associated with a public school.
9        (4) Practices, interschool practices, and scrimmages
10    for all of the activities listed under items (1), (2), and
11    (3) of this definition.
12    (b) The Department shall establish a 3-year pilot program
13for City of Chicago School District 299 in which the Department
14shall require an electrocardiogram (EKG) test as part of the
15health examination that student athletes are required to
16undergo. It shall be the responsibility of the parent or
17guardian of the student athlete to pay for the cost of the EKG
18test.
19    (c) The Department and the State Board of Education shall
20develop and post on their publicly accessible Internet websites
21guidelines and other relevant materials to inform and educate
22students participating in or desiring to participate in an
23athletic activity, their parents, and their coaches about the
24nature and warning signs of sudden cardiac arrest, including
25the risks associated with continuing to play or practice after
26experiencing one or more symptoms of sudden cardiac arrest,

 

 

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1including fainting, difficulty breathing, chest pains,
2dizziness, and an abnormal racing heart rate.
3    In developing the guidelines and materials, the Department
4and the State Board of Education may utilize existing materials
5developed by organizations such as Parent Heart Watch and the
6SADS (Sudden Arrhythmia Death Syndromes) Foundation.
7    A public school student participating in or desiring to
8participate in an athletic activity and the student's parent or
9guardian shall, each school year and prior to participation by
10the student in an athletic activity, sign and return to the
11student's school an acknowledgment of receipt and review of a
12sudden cardiac arrest symptoms and warning signs information
13sheet developed by the school board.
14    (d) A public school may hold an informational meeting prior
15to the start of each athletic season for all ages of
16competitors regarding the symptoms and warning signs of sudden
17cardiac arrest. In addition to students, parents, coaches, and
18other school officials, informational meetings may include
19physicians licensed to practice medicine in all of its
20branches, pediatric cardiologists, and athletic trainers.
21    (e) A public school student who, as determined by a game
22official, coach from the student's team, certified athletic
23trainer, physician licensed to practice medicine in all of its
24branches, or other official designated by the student's school,
25exhibits signs or symptoms of sudden cardiac arrest while
26participating in an athletic activity must be removed by the

 

 

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1coach from participation at that time, subject to this
2subsection (e).
3    If a public school student is known to have exhibited signs
4or symptoms of sudden cardiac arrest at any time prior to or
5following an athletic activity, the student must be prevented
6from participating in an athletic activity, subject to this
7subsection (e).
8    A student removed or prevented from participating in an
9athletic activity under this subsection (e) shall not return to
10participation until the student is evaluated and cleared for
11return to participation in writing by a physician licensed to
12practice medicine in all of its branches, certified nurse
13practitioner, or cardiologist. In order to help determine
14whether a student is ready to return to play, the licensed
15physician or certified nurse practitioner may consult any other
16licensed or certified medical professionals.
17    (f) Once each school year, a coach of an athletic activity
18for a public school shall complete a sudden cardiac arrest
19training course offered by a provider approved by the
20Department. A coach of an athletic activity may not coach the
21athletic activity until the coach completes the training course
22required under this subsection (f).
23    (g) A school board shall establish the following minimum
24penalties for a coach found in violation of the requirements
25under subsection (e) of this Section, which penalties shall
26apply 2 years following the effective date of this amendatory

 

 

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1Act of the 99th General Assembly:
2        (1) For a first violation, suspension from coaching any
3    athletic activity for the remainder of the season.
4        (2) For a second violation, suspension from coaching
5    any athletic activity for the remainder of the season and
6    for the next season.
7        (3) For a third violation, permanent suspension from
8    coaching any athletic activity.
9    (h) The sponsors of youth athletic activities not
10associated with a public school are encouraged to follow the
11guidance stated in this Section.
12    (i) Nothing in this Section shall be construed to do the
13following:
14        (1) abridge or limit any rights provided under a
15    collective bargaining agreement in effect on the effective
16    date of this amendatory Act of the 99th General Assembly or
17    any rights provided under the Illinois Educational Labor
18    Relations Act; or
19        (2) create, establish, expand, reduce, contract, or
20    eliminate any civil liability on the part of any public
21    school, public school employee, or school board.
22    (j) The Department and the State Board of Education may
23adopt any rules necessary to implement this Section.