AK HB15

Legislature finds that concussions are common traumatic brain injuries in young athletes, with an estimated 3,900,000 occurring annually in the United States from sports and recreational activities.

School districts must develop and publish concussion prevention and management guidelines in consultation with the Alaska School Activities Association, and annually provide written concussion information to students and parents before athletic participation.

Students suspected of sustaining a concussion must be immediately removed from play and cannot return until evaluated and cleared in writing by a qualified health care provider or person supervised by a licensed physician who is trained and certified in concussion evaluation and management.

Unpaid volunteers conducting concussion evaluations receive liability protection for civil damages except in cases of reckless or intentional misconduct and gross negligence.

School districts are immune from liability for concussion-related injuries or deaths resulting from nonprofit youth organizations' actions when the organization has a contract with the district, complies with concussion protocols, and maintains insurance coverage of at least $50,000 per person and $100,000 per incident.