UPDATED: 15:20, see below…
Yesterday Illinois Gov. Rauner signed SB0007 into law making it Public Act 099-0245 effectively titled Youth Sports Concussion Safety Act bringing a much more robust set of standards when dealing with concussions in Illinois.
The bill/law is basically an extension of the IHSA Policies regarding concussions plus some strengthening for player/participant safety.
Most notably this law now pertains to all sports, not just limited to the high school sports.
There will be more to follow on this as I get more time to delve into the entire bill.
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I have read the bill a few times and here are the other important takeaways from this bill:
- Any Park District and Youth Sports program must make available concussion information
- Returning from a concussion in youth sports programs or other organized sports (see club sports) must go through same steps as the IHSA/IESA standards
- All schools under the State Board of Education must have the following:
- A concussion oversight team that includes the following:
- at least one physician
- if school employs athletic trainer they must be included
- if school employs nurse they must be included
- administrator of protocol (essentially someone in charge of paperwork and policies)
- if wanted any other healthcare provider as outlined in bill (MD/DO, PT, OT, ATC, RN, PsyD)
- A concussion return-to-play protocol
- A concussion return-to-learn protocol
- All members of the concussion oversight team, coaches and officials must have no less than two hours of continuing education, from respective and approved providers, on concussion every two years.
- A concussion oversight team that includes the following:
- If suspected of a concussion and pulled from game or practice the injured must meet minimum requirements to return to play and can only be signed off by a physician or athletic trainer working under a physicians license/direction.
- If concussed the injured MUST go through the RTP protocol as set forth by each school and the RTP must be approved by the IHSA
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The Concussion Blog 
Very interesting that it now includes all youth sports. I will be interested to find out what the details are regarding programs with no medical supervision. Dustin, did you have any hand in the bill?
As I understand the bill the “all sports” is for the concussion information/education piece for participants/parents and clearance from a doctor once removed.
The oversight teams and RTP stuff is for school districts to implement…
Make sense?
It looks like they are fast tracking a bill to delay the effective date of the Concussion Safety Act to the 2016-17 school year. SB0219 passed the senate unanimously Sept. 19 and is now in the house Elementary and Secondary School Curriculum and Policies Committee. It will be good to give schools time to get this in place.