Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick signed a new state law governing safety regulations for school athletics six months ago, and a draft of the regulations was presented to the Public Health Council yesterday.
Under the new rules, all coaches, parents and students participating in athletics are required to complete an annual online training course on head injuries. The students must submit a form detailing prior head injuries, and reports need to be submitted throughout the year on head injuries.
When the students sustain a head injury, they must be removed from play and parents must be notified promptly. The student would need to be cleared by a licensed physician before returning to play. Coaches are held accountable for teaching appropriate techniques for minimizing the threat of head injury.
Read the Boston Herald report on concussion legislation.
Read other coverage on concussion legislation:
– Montana Sports Medicine Physicians Make Recommendations on Concussion Management
– Indiana Lawmakers Consider Concussion Legislation for Youth Athletes
– NFL, NATA Join to Promote Concussion Awareness Legislation
