HOUSE BILL 281 SIGNED INTO LAW

With a stroke of the pen at a ceremonial signing at Central High School in Louisville on Monday, Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear completed the process of enacting House Bill 281 into law. The measure outlines education requirements of all interscholastic coaches with regard to concussion recognition and safety training.

The bill, sponsored by Rep. Joni Jenkins which had more than two dozen co-sponsors, requires coaches at all levels to complete and pass the required sports safety course, including content that demonstrates proper concussion recognition and treatment. The measure extends provisions to all interscholastic levels as the previous legislation applied only to the high school level.

In addition to coach training, the law requires each school to certify that they have developed an emergency action plan for athletic competition and also makes available educational materials on how to recognize and properly treat concussion symptoms to parents, students and the general public. The law goes into effect in time for the 2012-13 school year.

“This is an important piece of legislation that will help keep student-athlete safety in the forefront of everyone’s mind,” said KHSAA Commissioner Julian Tackett. “This was a bill we took great interest in from the start and we are very pleased with the provisions of it as it pertains to coach training at all levels, not just high school. I salute Rep. Joni Jenkins and all the members of the legislature who worked tirelessly in a very difficult legislative session to create and pass this bill along in the best interest of Kentucky’s student-athletes of all ages with virtually no opposition.

“We are also grateful for the great cooperation of the Brain Injury Alliance of Kentucky and the Kentucky Athletic Trainers Society for their unwavering support of this initiative.”