The legislature’s Committee on Children held a public hearing on a variety of bills on Thursday (Feb. 16), which included Senate Bill 769, co-sponsored by State Representative Nicole Klarides-Ditria.
The legislation looks to help protect youth athletes against concussions. Rep. Klarides-Ditria expressed her support for the bill with detailed testimony recounting her first-hand experience as a certified athletic trainer and a mother of a high school football player.
“As an athletic trainer, I have seen first-hand the danger that concussions pose to our children,” said Rep. Klarides-Ditria. “The symptoms are not clear to the untrained eye, and too often the thrill of athletic competition is placed ahead of the safety and well-being of our children.”
The proposal would require the following:
- Make it mandatory for operators conducting youth athletic activities on public athletic fields to obtain the informed consent of a parent or guardian of each child participating in the youth athletic activity regarding concussions
- Coaches of youth athletic activities on public athletic fields must complete a training course regarding concussions.
- Require coaches of youth athletic activities on public athletic fields to remove from play youth athletes suspected of having or diagnosed with a concussion and to prohibit them from resuming until permission is obtained from a licensed health care provider.
Rep. Klarides-Ditria explained to the committee that the proposal would provide excellent guidelines for operators, coaches, athletes, and parents.
“Requiring coaches to complete concussion education training; removing athletes from the field of play as soon as a possible concussion occurs; and disallowing those athletes to return to play until they are cleared by a licensed health care provider are all steps that are vital and necessary in order to protect our children,” added Rep. Klarides-Ditria. “In all youth athletics, safety must come first. Raised Bill Number 769 is essential in providing youth athletes and their families with safeguards against the very real threat that concussions can provide.”
The committee showed their support for the legislation and asked Rep. Klarides-Ditria to collaborate with them to strengthen the language of the bill and expand the scope of the proposal to include all sports; not just sports played on public fields. Rep. Klarides-Ditria also introduced similar legislation, House Bill 6705, which is before the Public Health Committee.
Rep. Klarides-Ditria is hopeful that her proposals will move forward in the legislative process. The next step is for the bills to be moved to the House Floor for debate.
