Bolinsky Applauds Student Concussion Safety Legislation

HARTFORD-State Rep. Mitch Bolinsky (R-106 Newtown) supported and co-sponsored an amended bill to provide greater safety to students by requiring youth athletes suspected of suffering from a concussion to get written clearance from a medical provider before returning to play.

Bolinsky said, “This bill will raise awareness about the dangers of concussions, post-concussion complications, recognition of concussion symptoms and treatment by enhancing front-line training and creating informed consent on the part of student athletes and their parents.  It will also ensure that proper medical attention and clearance are obtained prior to a return to action, thus preventing more serious and compounded complications.  It’s an important bill that has been largely stripped of cost mandates and also does not eliminate full-contact practices, like an earlier version might have.”

An Act Concerning Youth Athletics And Concussions aims to reduce the number of concussions in children by having the State Department of Education (SBE) develop or approve a concussion education plan and by having sports leagues provide parents or guardians with information on concussions so they know what to look for if their child is suspected of sustaining a concussion. All student athletes and parents will be required to review and complete this plan each year before the student is allowed to participate in any sport activities.

The State Department of Education will develop or approve an informed consent form to distribute to parents that will include at least a summary of the concussion education plan and a summary of the local or regional board of education’s concussion policies. When student athletes are removed from athletic participation for exhibiting concussion symptoms, the coaches, or other qualified school employees, will be required to notify parents of the incidence within 24 hours of the child being removed. Coaches will not be allowed to permit the student to resume athletic activities until at least 24 hours have elapsed and the child has received written clearance from a doctor to resume sports. Finally, the bill requires school districts to provide annual reporting of concussion related information to the State Department of Education.

Current state law already requires coaches, who have coaching permits through the state Department of Education; to be trained before they start the athletic season.

The Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference, in cooperation with the state’s departments of education and public health, manages the training for coaches and that could be expanded to training parents and their children. The training could be in the form of written material or video and would require “informed consent” or a signature from parents.

The organization which represents the athletic trainers in the state, the Connecticut Athletic Trainers’ Association (CATA) has also thrown their support behind the bill.