HB9 - Coach Safety Act Summary

• Requires unpaid or volunteer coaches and athletics personnel for youth associations (age 14 and under) in high-risk sports to complete an annual injury mitigation course approved by the Department of Public Health at no cost.

• Course must be completed within 30 days of becoming actively engaged and renewed annually by the anniversary date; applies to football, basketball, baseball, volleyball, soccer, ice/field hockey, cheerleading, and lacrosse.

• Course minimum content includes emergency preparedness for traumatic injuries, concussions and head trauma, heat and extreme weather injuries, physical conditioning and equipment usage, and cardiac health abnormalities.

• Licensed athletic trainers, doctors, nurses, first responders, and health care professionals with acute traumatic life support training are exempt from the requirement.

• Coaches and athletics personnel who complete the course receive liability defense for youth injuries if they reasonably conformed their conduct to safety techniques taught in the course; act becomes effective upon Department of Public Health rule adoption within 180 days.