§ 22-80 — Student athletes; concussions and head injuries

(a) The General Assembly recognizes all of the following: (1) Concussions are one of the most commonly reported injuries in children and adolescents who participate in sports and recreational activities. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that as many as 3,900,000 sports-related and recreation-related concussions occur in the United States each year. A concussion is caused by a blow or motion to the head or body that causes the brain to move rapidly inside the skull. The risk of catastrophic injuries or death is significant when a concussion or head injury is not properly evaluated and managed. (2) Concussions are a type of brain injury that can range from mild to severe and can disrupt the way the brain normally works. Concussions can occur in any organized or unorganized sport or recreational activity and can result from a fall or from players colliding with each other, the ground, or with obstacles. Concussions occur with or without loss of consciousness, but the vast majority of concussions occur without loss of consciousness. (3) Continuing to play with a concussion or symptoms of a head injury leaves a young athlete especially vulnerable to greater injury and even death. The General Assembly recognizes that, despite having generally recognized return-to-play standards for concussions and head injuries, some affected youth athletes are prematurely returned to play, resulting in actual or potential physical injury or death to youth athletes in this State. (4) Student athletes who have sustained a concussion may need informal or formal accommodations, modifications of curriculum, and monitoring by medical or academic staff until the student is fully recovered. To that end, all schools are encouraged to establish a return-to-learn protocol that is based on peer-reviewed scientific evidence consistent with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines and conduct baseline testing for student athletes. (b) In this Section: "Athletic trainer" means an athletic trainer licensed under the Illinois Athletic Trainers Practice Act who is working under the supervision of a physician. "Coach" means any volunteer or employee of a school who is responsible for organizing and supervising students to teach them or train them in the fundamental skills of an interscholastic athletic activity. "Coach" refers to both head coaches and assistant coaches. "Concussion" means a complex pathophysiological process affecting the brain caused by a traumatic physical force or impact to the head or body, which may include temporary or prolonged altered brain function resulting in physical, cognitive, or emotional symptoms or altered sleep patterns and which may or may not involve a loss of consciousness. "Department" means the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation. "Game official" means a person who officiates at an interscholastic athletic activity, such as a referee or umpire, including, but not limited to, persons enrolled as game officials by the Illinois High School Association or Illinois Elementary School Association. "Interscholastic athletic activity" means any organized school-sponsored or school-sanctioned activity for students, generally outside of school instructional hours, under the direction of a coach, athletic director, or band leader, including, but not limited to, baseball, basketball, cheerleading, cross country track, fencing, field hockey, football, golf, gymnastics, ice hockey, lacrosse, marching band, rugby, soccer, skating, softball, swimming and diving, tennis, track (indoor and outdoor), ultimate Frisbee, volleyball, water polo, and wrestling. All interscholastic athletics are deemed to be interscholastic activities. "Licensed healthcare professional" means a person who has experience with concussion management and who is a nurse, a psychologist who holds a license under the Clinical Psychologist Licensing Act and specializes in the practice of neuropsychology, a physical therapist licensed under the Illinois Physical Therapy Act, an occupational therapist licensed under the Illinois Occupational Therapy Practice Act, a physician assistant, or an athletic trainer. "Nurse" means a person who is employed by or volunteers at a school and is licensed under the Nurse Practice Act as a registered nurse, practical nurse, or advanced practice registered nurse. "Physician" means a physician licensed to practice medicine in all of its branches under the Medical Practice Act of 1987. "Physician assistant" means a physician assistant licensed under the Physician Assistant Practice Act of 1987. "School" means any public or private elementary or secondary school, including a charter school. "Student" means an adolescent or child enrolled in a school. (c) This Section applies to any interscholastic athletic activity, including practice and competition, sponsored or sanctioned by a school, the Illinois Elementary School Association, or the Illinois High School Association. This Section applies beginning with the 2016-2017 school year. (d) The governing body of each public or charter school and the appropriate administrative officer of a private school with students enrolled who participate in an interscholastic athletic activity shall appoint or approve a concussion oversight team. Each concussion oversight team shall establish a return-to-play protocol, based on peer-reviewed scientific evidence consistent with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines, for a student's return to interscholastic athletics practice or competition following a force or impact believed to have caused a concussion. Each concussion oversight team shall also establish a return-to-learn protocol, based on peer-reviewed scientific evidence consistent with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines, for a student's return to the classroom after that student is believed to have experienced a concussion, whether or not the concussion took place while the student was participating in an interscholastic athletic activity. Each concussion oversight team must include to the extent practicable at least one physician. If a school employs an athletic trainer, the athletic trainer must be a member of the school concussion oversight team to the extent practicable. If a school employs a nurse, the nurse must be a member of the school concussion oversight team to the extent practicable. At a minimum, a school shall appoint a person who is responsible for implementing and complying with the return-to-play and return-to-learn protocols adopted by the concussion oversight team. At a minimum, a concussion oversight team may be composed of only one person and this person need not be a licensed healthcare professional, but it may not be a coach. A school may appoint other licensed healthcare professionals to serve on the concussion oversight team. (e) A student may not participate in an interscholastic athletic activity for a school year until the student and the student's parent or guardian or another person with legal authority to make medical decisions for the student have signed a form for that school year that acknowledges receiving and reading written information that explains concussion prevention, symptoms, treatment, and oversight and that includes guidelines for safely resuming participation in an athletic activity following a concussion. The form must be approved by the Illinois High School Association. (f) A student must be removed from an interscholastic athletics practice or competition immediately if one of the following persons believes the student might have sustained a concussion during the practice or competition: (1) a coach; (2) a physician; (3) a game official; (4) an athletic trainer; (5) the student's parent or guardian or another person with legal authority to make medical decisions for the student; (6) the student; or (7) any other person deemed appropriate under the school's return-to-play protocol. (g) A student removed from an interscholastic athletics practice or competition under this Section may not be permitted to practice or compete again following the force or impact believed to have caused the concussion until: (1) the student has been evaluated, using established medical protocols based on peer-reviewed scientific evidence consistent with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines, by a treating physician (chosen by the student or the student's parent or guardian or another person with legal authority to make medical decisions for the student), an athletic trainer, an advanced practice registered nurse, or a physician assistant; (2) the student has successfully completed each requirement of the return-to-play protocol established under this Section necessary for the student to return to play; (3) the student has successfully completed each requirement of the return-to-learn protocol established under this Section necessary for the student to return to learn; (4) the treating physician, the athletic trainer, or the physician assistant has provided a written statement indicating that, in the physician's professional judgment, it is safe for the student to return to play and return to learn or the treating advanced practice registered nurse has provided a written statement indicating that it is safe for the student to return to play and return to learn; and (5) the student and the student's parent or guardian or another person with legal authority to make medical decisions for the student: (A) have acknowledged that the student has completed the requirements of the return-to-play and return-to-learn protocols necessary for the student to return to play; (B) have provided the treating physician's, athletic trainer's, advanced practice registered nurse's, or physician assistant's written statement under subdivision (4) of this subsection (g) to the person responsible for compliance with the return-to-play and return-to-learn protocols under this subsection (g) and the person who has supervisory responsibilities under this subsection (g); and (C) have signed a consent form indicating that the person signing: (i) has been informed concerning and consents to the student participating in returning to play in accordance with the return-to-play and return-to-learn protocols; (ii) understands the risks associated with the student returning to play and returning to learn and will comply with any ongoing requirements in the return-to-play and return-to-learn protocols; and (iii) consents to the disclosure to appropriate persons, consistent with the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (Public Law 104-191), of the treating physician's, athletic trainer's, physician assistant's, or advanced practice registered nurse's written statement under subdivision (4) of this subsection (g) and, if any, the return-to-play and return-to-learn recommendations of the treating physician, the athletic trainer, the physician assistant, or the advanced practice registered nurse, as the case may be. A coach of an interscholastic athletics team may not authorize a student's return to play or return to learn. The district superintendent or the superintendent's designee in the case of a public elementary or secondary school, the chief school administrator or that person's designee in the case of a charter school, or the appropriate administrative officer or that person's designee in the case of a private school shall supervise an athletic trainer or other person responsible for compliance with the return-to-play protocol and shall supervise the person responsible for compliance with the return-to-learn protocol. The person who has supervisory responsibilities under this paragraph may not be a coach of an interscholastic athletics team. (h)(1) The Illinois High School Association shall approve, for coaches, game officials, and non-licensed healthcare professionals, training courses that provide training in the subject matter of concussions, including evaluation, prevention, symptoms, risks, and long-term effects. The Association shall maintain an updated list of individuals and organizations authorized by the Association to provide the training. (2) The following persons must take a training course in accordance with paragraph (4) of this subsection (h) from an authorized training provider at least once every 2 years: (A) a coach of an interscholastic athletic activity; (B) a nurse, licensed healthcare professional, or non-licensed healthcare professional who serves as a member of a concussion oversight team either on a volunteer basis or in his or her capacity as an employee, representative, or agent of a school; and (C) a game official of an interscholastic athletic activity. (3) A physician who serves as a member of a concussion oversight team shall, to the greatest extent practicable, periodically take an appropriate continuing medical education course in the subject matter of concussions. (4) For purposes of paragraph (2) of this subsection (h): (A) a coach, game official, or non-licensed healthcare professional, as the case may be, must take a course described in paragraph (1) of this subsection (h); (B) an athletic trainer must take a concussion-related continuing education course from an athletic trainer continuing education sponsor approved by the Department; (C) a nurse must take a concussion-related continuing education course from a nurse continuing education sponsor approved by the Department; (D) a physical therapist must take a concussion-related continuing education course from a physical therapist continuing education sponsor approved by the Department; (E) a psychologist must take a concussion-related continuing education course from a psychologist continuing education sponsor approved by the Department; (F) an occupational therapist must take a concussion-related continuing education course from an occupational therapist continuing education sponsor approved by the Department; and (G) a physician assistant must take a concussion-related continuing education course from a physician assistant continuing education sponsor approved by the Department. (5) Each person described in paragraph (2) of this subsection (h) must submit proof of timely completion of an approved course in compliance with paragraph (4) of this subsection (h) to the district superintendent or the superintendent's designee in the case of a public elementary or secondary school, the chief school administrator or that person's designee in the case of a charter school, or the appropriate administrative officer or that person's designee in the case of a private school. (6) A physician, licensed healthcare professional, or non-licensed healthcare professional who is not in compliance with the training requirements under this subsection (h) may not serve on a concussion oversight team in any capacity. (7) A person required under this subsection (h) to take a training course in the subject of concussions must complete the training prior to serving on a concussion oversight team in any capacity. (i) The governing body of each public or charter school and the appropriate administrative officer of a private school with students enrolled who participate in an interscholastic athletic activity shall develop a school-specific emergency action plan for interscholastic athletic activities to address the serious injuries and acute medical conditions in which the condition of the student may deteriorate rapidly. The plan shall include a delineation of roles, methods of communication, available emergency equipment, and access to and a plan for emergency transport. This emergency action plan must be: (1) in writing; (2) reviewed by the concussion oversight team; (3) approved by the district superintendent or the superintendent's designee in the case of a public elementary or secondary school, the chief school administrator or that person's designee in the case of a charter school, or the appropriate administrative officer or that person's designee in the case of a private school; (4) distributed to all appropriate personnel; (5) posted conspicuously at all venues utilized by the school; and (6) reviewed annually by all athletic trainers, first responders (including, but not limited to, emergency medical dispatchers), coaches, school nurses, athletic directors, and volunteers for interscholastic athletic activities. (j) The State Board of Education shall adopt rules as necessary to administer this Section, including, but not limited to, rules governing the informal or formal accommodation of a student who may have sustained a concussion during an interscholastic athletic activity.

Legislative History

(Source: P.A. 104-391, eff. 8-15-25.)