2-way agreement on student concussion bill
A chin strap secures Alex Fehmel's helmet in place. Shoreham-Wading River girls lacrosse players Fehmel and Clare Blomberg have had concussions, so they now wear foam helmets specially made for them. (April 27, 2011) Credit: Joseph D. Sullivan
ALBANY -- The State Senate and Assembly have reached agreement on a bill that will increase protections for student athletes who get concussions, a key senator said Tuesday.
The bill would require an athlete to be removed immediately from the field of play if he or she shows signs of concussion, and be symptom-free for at least 24 hours and receive clearance from a physician before jumping back into competition.
"There is a two-way agreement" to pass the bill, said Sen. Kemp Hannon (R-Garden City), sponsor of the legislation.
Importantly, the agreement came about after Hannon agreed to edit it to authorize -- rather than mandate -- schools to establish a concussion management team to implement the new provisions. Also, the bill would not cover private high schools but would encourage them to follow the guidelines.
Hannon, who said that the number of children who suffer concussions annually "is alarming," noted that the measure would take the pressure off athletes to return to the field of play swiftly. He said school athletic directors had voiced "growing concerns" about the issue, but that the state lacked clear direction about how to handle it.
"This establishes a baseline standard for everyone in the state for how to treat" concussion management, Hannon said.
The measure won the backing of the state Brain Injury Association, the New York State Public High School Association and the NFL.
"When passed into law," NFL Senior Vice President Jeff Miller said in a statement, "this bill will protect New York's young student-athletes from preventable concussions and other brain injuries."
The two houses plan to pass the bill before the legislature adjourns for the year, slated for June 20.
"Head injuries, among students in particular, have been a growing issue and have not been addressed in any meaningful way," said Assemb. Robert Sweeney (D-Lindenhurst). "Now, we're set to make progress."
