Existing law requires the Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association, the board of trustees of each school district and each organization for youth sports that sponsors or sanctions competitive sports for youth to adopt a policy concerning the prevention and treatment of injuries to the head. Existing law requires such a policy to require: (1) a pupil or youth who sustains or is suspected to have sustained an injury to the head to be removed from an activity or event to which the policy applies; and (2) the parent or guardian of such a pupil or youth to provide a signed statement from a provider of health care authorizing the pupil or youth to return to the activity or event before the pupil or youth is authorized to return to the activity or event. (NRS 385B.080, 392.452, 455A.200) Section 6.5 of this bill requires the Superintendent of Public Instruction to adopt by regulation a policy concerning the treatment of injuries to the head that affect the ability of a pupil to engage in his or her course work at school. Regulations adopted pursuant to section 6.5 must require a school to authorize a pupil who has sustained or is suspected of sustaining an injury to the head to receive reasonable accommodations that are based on peer-reviewed evidence. Section 6.5 requires the Superintendent to post the policy on an Internet website maintained by the Department of Education. Section 7 of this bill requires the Association to adopt regulations prescribing the policy of the Association concerning the prevention and treatment of injuries to the head. Section 7 additionally requires the association to compile information on the prevention and treatment of injuries to the head. Section 7 also requires the Association to: (1) provide the policy to a parent or legal guardian of a pupil before the pupil participates in an interscholastic activity or event and annually thereafter; (2) ensure that the pupil and his or her parent or legal guardian sign a form containing certain disclosures before the pupil participates in an interscholastic activity or event and annually thereafter; and (3) post the policy and information to an Internet website maintained by the Association. Section 8 of this bill requires the board of trustees of each school district and the governing body of each charter school or university school for profoundly gifted pupils to adopt a policy with the same or substantially similar provisions as those required in sections 6.5 and 7 and to modify such provisions as necessary for the provisions to apply to any pupil that sustains an injury to the head. Section 10 of this bill requires each organization for youth sports that sanctions or sponsors competitive sports for youths in this State to adopt a policy with the same or substantially similar provisions as those required in section 7. Sections 6.5-8 and 10 require the Superintendent, the Association, the board of trustees of each school district, the governing body of each charter school or university school for profoundly gifted pupils and each organization for youth sports, as applicable, to review the policy each person or organization adopted pursuant to the provisions of this bill at least once every 5 years and update it as necessary to reflect current best practices in the treatment and prevention of injuries to the head. If a pupil or youth sustains an injury to the head, existing law requires that a provider of health care sign a form indicating that the pupil is medically cleared for participation in an activity, event or competitive sport before the pupil is authorized to return to such participation. (NRS 385B.080, 392.452, 455A.200) Sections 7, 8 and 10 additionally require the provider of health care that signs such a form to be acting within his or her scope of practice.

Statutes affected:
As Introduced: 385B.080, 392.452, 455A.200
Reprint 1: 385B.080, 392.452, 455A.200
As Enrolled: 385B.080, 392.452, 455A.200
BDR: 385B.080, 392.452, 455A.200