House File 564 - Introduced
HOUSE FILE 564
BY ABDUL-SAMAD, ANDREWS,
JACOBY, MASCHER, SMITH,
BROWN-POWERS, and JONES
A BILL FOR
1 An Act relating to student concussion and brain injury
2 policies.
3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
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1 Section 1. Section 280.13C, subsection 6, paragraph b, Code
2 2021, is amended to read as follows:
3 b. Personnel of a school district or accredited
4 nonpublic school with enrolled students who participate
5 in an extracurricular interscholastic activity which is
6 a contest in grades seven through twelve shall develop a
7 return-to-learn plan based on guidance developed by the brain
8 injury association of America protocols supported by guidelines
9 of the centers for disease control and prevention of the United
10 States department of health and human services in cooperation
11 with a student removed from participation in an extracurricular
12 interscholastic activity and diagnosed with a concussion
13 or brain injury, the student’s parent or guardian, and the
14 student’s licensed health care provider to accommodate the
15 student as the student returns to the classroom.
16 Sec. 2. Section 280.13C, subsection 6, Code 2021, is amended
17 by adding the following new paragraphs:
18 NEW PARAGRAPH. c. The department of public health, in
19 collaboration with the department of education, shall adopt
20 rules pursuant to chapter 17A establishing return-to-learn
21 protocols that will allow for education personnel and the
22 families of students diagnosed with a concussion or brain
23 injury to collaborate with licensed health care providers
24 to provide a process for a student to return to learn after
25 a concussion or brain injury. Such protocols shall include
26 peer reviewed information on the risks, signs, symptoms,
27 and behaviors consistent with a concussion or brain injury;
28 guidance on supporting a student at home and in nonschool
29 activities; and general recommendations for nonacademic
30 adjustments or accommodations. Such protocols shall also
31 include a requirement for prompt communication to the parent
32 or guardian of a student showing signs, symptoms, or behaviors
33 consistent with a concussion or brain injury at school, on
34 school grounds, or at a school activity of the process for
35 implementing a return-to-learn plan if the student is diagnosed
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1 with a concussion or brain injury. The protocols shall
2 prohibit a student that has been diagnosed with a concussion
3 or brain injury from returning to a complete learning schedule
4 without prior approval by a licensed health care provider. The
5 department of public health shall provide the return-to-learn
6 protocols to the board of directors of each school district and
7 the authorities in charge of each accredited nonpublic school,
8 which shall adopt the protocols in a timely manner.
9 NEW PARAGRAPH. d. For school years beginning on or after
10 July 1, 2021, the board of directors of each school district
11 and the authorities in charge of each accredited nonpublic
12 school shall provide the parent or guardian of each student
13 in grades kindergarten through twelve the return-to-learn
14 protocols as part of materials provided to parents or guardians
15 prior to the start of the school year. Such information shall
16 also be provided to a parent or guardian of a new student
17 arriving after the school year has started.
18 EXPLANATION
19 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with
20 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly.
21 This bill provides that return-to-learn plans for a
22 student removed from participation in an extracurricular
23 interscholastic activity and diagnosed with a concussion or
24 brain injury shall be developed for students in grades 7
25 through 12 based on protocols supported by guidelines of the
26 centers for disease control and prevention of the United States
27 department of health and human services. Under current law,
28 such plans are developed for students in grades 7 through 12
29 based on guidance developed by the brain injury association of
30 America.
31 The bill requires the department of public health, in
32 collaboration with the department of education, to adopt rules
33 establishing return-to-learn protocols that will allow for
34 education personnel and the families of students diagnosed
35 with a concussion or brain injury to collaborate with licensed
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1 health care providers to provide a process for a student to
2 return to learn after a concussion or brain injury. The bill
3 specifies certain content for the protocols. The bill requires
4 the department of public health to provide the protocols to the
5 board of directors of each school district and the authorities
6 in charge of each accredited nonpublic school, which shall
7 adopt the protocols in a timely manner.
8 For school years beginning on or after July 1, 2021, the bill
9 requires the board of directors of each school district and
10 the authorities in charge of each accredited nonpublic school
11 to provide the parent or guardian of each student in grades
12 kindergarten through 12 the protocols as part of materials
13 provided to parents or guardians prior to the start of the
14 school year. Such information shall also be provided to a
15 parent or guardian of a new student arriving after the school
16 year has started.
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Statutes affected:
Introduced: 280.13C