Bill Text - SB524 (2018)

Relative to head injury policies for the community college system of New Hampshire and the university system of New Hampshire.


Revision: Jan. 9, 2018, 8:35 a.m.

SB 524-FN - AS INTRODUCED

 

 

2018 SESSION

18-2786

04/03

 

SENATE BILL 524-FN

 

AN ACT relative to head injury policies for the community college system of New Hampshire and the university system of New Hampshire.

 

SPONSORS: Sen. Watters, Dist 4; Sen. D'Allesandro, Dist 20; Sen. Kahn, Dist 10; Sen. Giuda, Dist 2; Sen. Soucy, Dist 18; Sen. Cavanaugh, Dist 16; Sen. Gray, Dist 6; Sen. Fuller Clark, Dist 21; Rep. Burton, Straf. 6; Rep. Kotowski, Merr. 24; Rep. Suzanne Smith, Graf. 8

 

COMMITTEE: Education

 

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ANALYSIS

 

This bill requires the university system of New Hampshire and the community college system of New Hampshire to develop head injury policies for student-athletes.

 

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Explanation: Matter added to current law appears in bold italics.

Matter removed from current law appears [in brackets and struckthrough.]

Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.

18-2786

04/03

 

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

 

In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Eighteen

 

AN ACT relative to head injury policies for the community college system of New Hampshire and the university system of New Hampshire.

 

Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:

 

1  New Subdivision; Head Injury Policies for Student-Athletes.  Amend RSA 187-A by inserting after section 42 the following new subdivision:

Head Injury Policies for Student-Athletes

187-A:43  Definitions.  As used in this subdivision:

I.  "Head injury'' means injuries to the scalp, skull, or brain caused by trauma, and shall include a concussion which is the most common type of sports-related brain injury.

II.  "Health care provider'' means a person who is licensed, certified, or otherwise statutorily authorized by the state to provide medical treatment and is trained in the evaluation and management of concussions.

III.  "Institution property'' means all real property, physical plant, and equipment used for institution purposes.

IV.  "Student-athlete'' means a student involved in any institutionally sponsored or supervised sports program or competitive student sports program between institutions.

187-A:44  Head Injury Policies for Student-Athletes.

I.  For student-athletes engaged in institutionally sponsored intercollegiate athletics, the athletic department of each institution in the university system of New Hampshire shall have guidelines, procedures, and other pertinent information and forms, authorized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association or other national authority governing the institution’s sports programs, to govern procedures for evaluation and treatment of concussion and head injury and return to play and continuing evaluation, and to inform and educate coaches and student-athletes of the nature and risk of concussion and head injury including continuing to play after concussion or head injury and the need for continuing monitoring of brain health, for chronic traumatic encephalopathy and other brain pathologies, after the completion of a student-athlete’s career.  On an annual basis, the athletic department, or for intramural sports the appropriate governing organization, of each institution shall distribute a concussion and head injury information sheet to all student-athletes.

II.  At the commencement of a student-athlete’s participation in an intercollegiate sport that requires the use of a helmet or the use of the head in contact with a ball, or involves the likelihood of impacts on the head, the institution shall provide the opportunity for neurological testing.

187-A:45  Removal of Student-Athlete.

I.  An employee coach, official, licensed athletic trainer, or health care provider who suspects that a student-athlete has sustained a concussion or head injury in a practice or game shall follow the institutional policy and procedures for removal from play and practice, and for evaluation, treatment, and return to play.  

II.  No person who authorizes a student-athlete to return to play shall be liable for civil damages resulting from any act or omission in the rendering of such care, other than acts or omissions constituting gross negligence or willful or wanton misconduct.

187-A:46  Limitation of Liability.  An employee of a university system of New Hampshire institution, or volunteer or employee of a company under contract to such institution, shall be immune from civil liability for good faith conduct arising from or pertaining to the injury or death of a student-athlete provided the action or inaction was in compliance with this subdivision and the institution’s policies relative to the management of concussions and head injuries.  This limitation of liability shall extend to institution-sponsored athletic activities.  The institution may provide concussion guidelines to other organizations sponsoring athletic activities on institution property, however the institution shall not be required to enforce compliance with such guidelines.

2  New Subdivision; Head Injury Policies for Student-Athletes.  Amend RSA 188-F by inserting after section 67 the following new subdivision:

Head Injury Policies for Student-Athletes

188-F:68  Definitions.  As used in this subdivision:

I.  "Head injury'' means injuries to the scalp, skull, or brain caused by trauma, and shall include a concussion which is the most common type of sports-related brain injury.

II.  "Health care provider'' means a person who is licensed, certified, or otherwise statutorily authorized by the state to provide medical treatment and is trained in the evaluation and management of concussions.

III.  "Institution property'' means all real property, physical plant, and equipment used for institution purposes.

IV.  "Student-athlete'' means a student involved in any institutionally sponsored or supervised sports program or competitive student sports program between institutions.

188-F:69  Head Injury Policies for Student-Athletes.

I.  For student-athletes engaged in institutionally sponsored intercollegiate athletics, the athletic department of each institution in the community college system of New Hampshire shall have guidelines, procedures, and other pertinent information and forms, authorized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association or other national authority governing the institution’s sports programs, to govern procedures for evaluation and treatment of concussion and head injury and return to play and continuing evaluation, and to inform and educate coaches and student-athletes of the nature and risk of concussion and head injury including continuing to play after concussion or head injury and the need for continuing monitoring of brain health, for chronic traumatic encephalopathy and other brain pathologies, after the completion of a student-athlete’s career.  On an annual basis, the athletic department, or for intramural sports the appropriate governing organization, of each institution shall distribute a concussion and head injury information sheet to all student-athletes.

II.  At the commencement of a student-athlete’s participation in an intercollegiate sport that requires the use of a helmet or the use of the head in contact with a ball, or involves the likelihood of impacts on the head, the institution shall provide the opportunity for neurological testing.

188-F:70  Removal of Student-Athlete.

I.  An employee coach, official, licensed athletic trainer, or health care provider who suspects that a student-athlete has sustained a concussion or head injury in a practice or game shall follow the institutional policy and procedures for removal from play and practice, and for evaluation, treatment, and return to play.  

II.  No person who authorizes a student-athlete to return to play shall be liable for civil damages resulting from any act or omission in the rendering of such care, other than acts or omissions constituting gross negligence or willful or wanton misconduct.

188-F:71  Limitation of Liability.  An employee of a community college system of New Hampshire institution, or volunteer or employee of a company under contract to such institution, shall be immune from civil liability for good faith conduct arising from or pertaining to the injury or death of a student-athlete provided the action or inaction was in compliance with this subdivision and the institution’s policies relative to the management of concussions and head injuries.  This limitation of liability shall extend to institution-sponsored athletic activities.  The institution may provide concussion guidelines to other organizations sponsoring athletic activities on institution property, however the institution shall not be required to enforce compliance with such guidelines.

3  Effective Date.  This act shall take effect 60 days after its passage.

 

LBAO

18-2786

1/3/18

 

SB 524-FN- FISCAL NOTE

AS INTRODUCED

 

AN ACT relative to head injury policies for the community college system of New Hampshire and the university system of New Hampshire.

 

FISCAL IMPACT

The University System of New Hampshire states this bill will increase the System's expenditures by $410,022 in FY 2019 and by $297,517 in FY 2020 and each year thereafter.  The Community College System of New Hampshire states this bill will increase the System's expenditures by an indeterminable amount in FY 2019 and each year thereafter.  The bill will have no impact on either System's revenue.

 

METHODOLOGY:

This bill requires the University System of New Hampshire and Community College System of New Hampshire to develop guidelines, procedures, and other pertinent information, authorized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), or other national authority governing the institution’s sports programs.  Further, the Systems would be required to inform and educate coaches and student-athletes of the nature risk of head injuries, including long-term effects.

 

University System of New Hampshire

The University System of New Hampshire (USNH) assumes the definition of student-athlete in this bill would include intermural/club sports, which therefore expands current intercollegiate varsity sports protocol to all intermural/club sports.  This would involve one-time, computer-based, pre-participation baseline concussion assessment of all intermural/club athletes and ongoing supervision and monitoring.  System-wide, it is estimated this would apply to 8,000 individuals in the first year of implementation and 2,000 annually thereafter, and USNH has provided the following cost estimates:

 

FY 2019

Annual Recurring Costs

University of New Hampshire

 

 

Baseline Test

 

 

Software Licensing and Operations Expense

$73,172

$18,293

Hardware

$15,000

$0

Personnel

 

 

Two new athletic training professional staff positions

$142,000

$142,000

Per Diem Athletic Training Staff for Gap Coverage

$14,000

$14,000

15% of Existing Professional Staff Time for Oversight

$10,500

$10,500

Personnel Costs Subtotal

$166,500

$166,500

University of New Hampshire Total

$254,672

$184,793

 

 

 

Plymouth State University*

 

 

Baseline Test

 

 

Software Licensing and Operations Expense

$23,415

$5,854

Hardware

$4,800

$0

Personnel

$53,280

$53,280

Plymouth State University Total

$81,495

$59,134

 

 

 

Keene State College*

 

 

Baseline Test

 

 

Software Licensing and Operations Expense

$21,220

$5,305

Hardware

$4,350

$0

Personnel

$48,285

$48,285

Keene State College Total

$73,855

$53,590

 

 

 

University System of New Hampshire Total

$410,022

$297,517

 

*Plymouth State University and Keene State College expense estimate is based on University of New Hampshire ratio, matriculating full-time undergraduate enrollment.

 

Community College System of New Hampshire

The Community College System of New Hampshire (CCSNH) is unable to estimate a fiscal impact to this bill as they cannot determine how many students in a given year will participate in an institutionally sponsored athletic programs to which this bill applies.  While CCSNH anticipates it would incur costs relative to this bill, specifically related to distribution of information, monitoring, and testing, it cannot provide an estimate at this time.

 

AGENCIES CONTACTED:

University System of New Hampshire and Community College System of New Hampshire