HB 4260 Summary

• Department of Public Health must develop, adopt, or approve concussion educational materials and an electronic training program by June 27, 2017, covering nature and risks of concussions, athlete removal and return protocols, and risks of unreported concussions.

• Organizing entities (schools, parks departments, nonprofits, etc.) sponsoring youth athletic activities must ensure coaches, employees, and volunteers complete concussion awareness training once every 2 years, unless the department recommends more frequent training.

• Youth athletes and their parents or guardians must receive concussion educational materials and sign statements acknowledging receipt before participation; organizing entities must maintain these statements permanently.

• Coaches must immediately remove any youth athlete suspected of concussion from play and may only return with written clearance from an appropriate health professional; clearance documents must be maintained in permanent files.

• Exemptions apply to athletic activities governed by private nonprofit multisport statewide interscholastic athletic associations with substantially similar or more stringent concussion protocols, and to programs where athletic participation is incidental to the primary focus.