Concussions in Youth Athletes - Nebraska

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Nebraska

Governor Heineman signed LB 260 into law on April 14, 2011. The law is to take effect on July 1, 2012. This law can be found at sections 71-9101 to 71-9106 of the Nebraska Code, and is entitled the Concussion Awareness Act. This Act falls under the title dealing with public health and welfare. (Neb. Rev. Stat. §§ 71-9101 through 71-9106).

Section 71-904 is directed to schools, and requires that each school make concussion training available to all coaches; requires an information sheet about concussions be distributed to parents on an annual basis; the information sheet must be signed and returned by a parent/guardian before any participation by a student in an athletic activity; and any student suspected of sustaining a concussion must removed from the activity and not permitted to return until evaluated by a health care professional and given written clearance from the health care professional and written and signed permission to resume participation by their parent/guardian. The law requires parents to be notified if their child is removed from an activity under this section.

Section 71-9105 is directed to city, village, business or nonprofit organizations that organize youth athletic activities where athletes 19 years and younger are required to pay a fee to participate or where the cost is sponsored by a business or nonprofit group. These groups are required to: make concussion training available to coaches; provide concussion information sheets to coaches and parents; and, if any player is suspected of sustaining a concussion, remove the player from the activity, and the player is not permitted to return until the player is evaluated by a licensed health care professional and given written clearance, and has written permission to return from their parent/guardian. This section requires the organization to notify a parent/guardian if their child has been removed from participation for a suspected concussion, as well as the time and date of the injury, the symptoms observed, and any attempted treatment of the symptoms.

The official versions of these sections are currently available online at:

http://nebraskalegislature.gov/laws/statutes.php?statute=71-9101

http://nebraskalegislature.gov/laws/statutes.php?statute=71-9102

http://nebraskalegislature.gov/laws/statutes.php?statute=71-9103

http://nebraskalegislature.gov/laws/statutes.php?statute=71-9104

http://nebraskalegislature.gov/laws/statutes.php?statute=71-9105

http://nebraskalegislature.gov/laws/statutes.php?statute=71-9106

Currently there is no legislation pending in the Nebraska state legislature to amend or repeal the present law.