The Alabama law is located at §22-11E-1 through §22-11E-2 of the Alabama Code under the title dealing with health, mental health and environmental control laws. (Ala. Code § 22-11E-1 through § 22-11E-2).  On April 4, 2018, Alabama Governor Kay Ivey signed Alabama House Bill 9 titled the “Coach Safety Act” into law.  The new law became effective on November 4, 2018 when the Department of Health training rules became effective. 

Alabama law requires each local school system and the governing body of each sport or recreational organization to develop concussion guidelines and provide concussion training and education to parents/guardians and athletes and that the parents/guardians sign a concussion information sheet annually before participation in practice or competition.  The law also requires each local school system and the governing body of each sport or recreational organization to ensure that coaches be trained about concussions.  Any youth athlete suspected of sustaining a concussion or brain injury must be immediately removed from the game or practice and may not return to play the day of the injury and until evaluated by a licensed doctor and receiving written clearance. Volunteer coaches, managers, and officials who provide services for a sports teams, which is organized or performing as a non-profit or similar entity or which is a member team in a league affiliated with an organized county or municipal recreation department are exempted from liability unless willful, wanton or grossly negligent, has not completed required safety training or causes damage or injury as a result of negligent operation of a motor vehicle (§6-5-344 Exemptions from Liability).

The Coach Safety Act defines association as “Any organization that administers or conducts high risk youth athletics activities on property owned, leased, managed, or maintained by the state, an agent of the state, or a political subdivision of the state.”  Under the Act, Youth Athletes are “Individuals age 14 and under participating in an organized sport.”  High Risk Youth Athletic Activities are defined and include, but are not limited football, baseball, volleyball, soccer, ice or field hockey, cheerleading and lacrosse.  The law requires all coaches and athletic personnel for any youth athletic organization that sponsors or conducts sports training or high risk youth athletic activities to annually complete a course approved by the Alabama Department of Health that provides information regarding emergency preparedness for concussions and head trauma, heat and weather related injury, physical conditioning and training equipment usage and heart defects and abnormalities leading to sudden cardiac death.  Within 180 days of enactment, the Department of Public Health shall adopt rules for implementation, enforcement and administration of the Act.   Athletic personnel and coaches completing the course and who reasonably conform their conduct to such methods and safety techniques from the course are entitled to a defense from liability for injury to a youth athlete engaged in a high-risk youth athletic activity.

Sections 22-11E-1 through 22-11E-2 and 6-5-344 may be viewed online at:

http://alisondb.legislature.state.al.us/alison/CodeOfAlabama/1975/Coatoc.htm  *click on Title 22 on the left, then click Title I on main page and page down to Chapter 11 E clicking on the link to view either section. Follow the same process to view 6-5-344.

Alabama House Bill No. 9 / Act 18-496 may be viewed online at:

http://arc-sos.state.al.us/cgi/actdetail.mbr/detail?year=2018&act= 496&page=bill

(click on view image).  Act 18-496 will be codified at Sections 22-11-F-1 through 22-11-F-3.

The following web sites offer additional information regarding the Alabama Concussion Law:

https://www.childrensal.org/concussion-resources

https://www.alabamapublichealth.gov/injuryprevention/youth-athletic-training-resources.html

(Information from the Alabama Department of Health regarding Act 18-496)

The following web site offers information regarding the Coach Safety Act:

http://www.coachsafely.org/

The Alaska law is located at Sections 14.30.142 through 14.30.143 of the Alaska Code, under the title dealing with education, libraries and museums and the chapter on pupil health. (Alaska Stat. § 14.30.142 through § 14.30.143).

The Alaska law found at §14.30.142 requires school districts to develop guidelines to inform and educate parents, students and coaches on concussions, including standards on the return to play.  It requires schools to have a parent/guardian and student (under 18 years of age) to annually sign a written information sheet about concussions before participation.  The law also mandates that a student suspected of sustaining a concussion must be immediately removed from practice or a game and may not return to play or practice until evaluated by an athletic trainer or other defined health care provider and given clearance, which may be provided in writing or electronically. This section also discusses the immunity of these health care providers.  §14.30.143 discusses the immunity of school districts for injuries sustained by student athletes resulting from the action or inaction of a person under contract with or employed by a nonprofit youth organization under the listed conditions.   “Youth organization” is defined in this section as a public or private entity qualified to do business in the state that provides a program or service to person under nineteen (19) years of age.   Section 14.30.142 was amended effective September 16, 2018 to include a physician licensed in another state, who provides medical services to an athletic team while traveling to and from or participating in a sporting event in Alaska as a “qualified person” pursuant to 14.30.142(d)(2) as otherwise are excepted from Alaska State licensing requirements in accordance with Section 08.64.370 of the Alaska Statutes.

Section 14.30.142 can be found at:

http://www.akleg.gov/basis/statutes.asp#14.30.142

Section 14.30.143 can be found at:

http://www.akleg.gov/basis/statutes.asp#14.30.143

The follow web site offers additional information regarding the Alaska Student Athletes Concussion Law;

http://asaa.org/resources/sports-medicine/bylaws-and-policies/

The Arizona law is found at Section 15-341(24)(b) of the Arizona Code, under the title dealing with education and the chapter dealing with local governance of schools and the powers and duties of local school districts. (Ariz. Rev. Stat. § 15-341(24)(b)).  Arizona HB 2088 (Chapter 292) amended paragraph (24)(b) was signed by Arizona Governor

On May 16, 2018 and the amendment became effective on August 3, 2018.

Arizona law requires the governing board of the school district to prescribe and enforce policies related to the health and safety of students, including developing guidelines and forms about the dangers of concussions and head injuries.  The policies must require that before a student participates in the activity the student and the parent/guardian must sign a form once a year stating they are aware of the nature and risks of concussions.  The policy must also require that a student suspected of having a concussion be immediately removed from the activity by a coach, official, child’s parent, or licensed health care provider.  A child may return the same day if a health care provider, as defined by the statute, rules out a suspected concussion.  Subsequently, a child may return to play only after evaluation and receiving written clearance from a health care provider who is trained with regard to the evaluation and management of concussions and head injuries.  The law also contains immunity provisions for health care providers and for school districts.  The 2018 amendments provide that a pupil’s parent or guardian must be notified in the event that a student is removed from participation because of a suspected concussion.

This law applies to any group or organization that uses property or facilities owned by a school district for athletic activities.  The law does not apply to teams that are based in another state and that participate in an athletic activity in Arizona. The definition of “athletic activity” does not currently include dance, rhythmic gymnastics, competitions or exhibitions of academic skills or knowledge or other similar forms of physical non-contact activities, civic activities or academic activities, whether engaged in for the purposes of competition or recreation.

The official version of section 15-341(24)(b) is currently available online at:

http://www.azleg.gov/viewdocument/?docName=http://www.azleg.gov/ars/15/00341.htm

(scroll down to Section 24(b).

Arizona HB 2088 can be viewed online at:

https://legiscan.com/AZ/text/HB2088/2018

The Arkansas law is found at §6-18-708 and §6-18-710 of the Arkansas Code (A.C.A. Section 6-18-708 and Section 6-18-710) under the Education Law.

Arkansas law at §6-18-708 requires public school districts to develop procedures concerning certain health conditions, including concussions, that a student athlete my encounter during athletic training and physical activities.  Any person employed as an athletic coach is required to complete training every 3 years regarding health conditions identified in the statute including concussions.  Section 6-18-710 defines “youth athletic activity” as an organized athletic activity involving participants engaging in athletic games, competition or practice against or in preparation for an organized athletic game or competition against another team, club or entity in which a majority of those participating at under 19 years of age.  The Arkansas Department of Health is required to develop protocols to protect all youth athletes engaged in youth athletic activities in Arkansas.  Guidelines shall include information and forms to coaches, youth athletes and parents which inform and educate regarding the nature and risk of concussions and head injuries and continuing to play after a concussion or head injury.  Prior to engaging in a youth athletic activity, an information sheet must be distributed to each person who intends to participate in the youth athletic activity and be signed by the youth athlete and the parent or guardian if the participant is under eighteen (18) years of age.  A youth athlete suspected of sustaining a concussion shall be removed from the game, activity or practice at that time and shall not return to play until evaluation by a health care provider trained in the evaluation and management of concussions and receiving written clearance to return to play.

Title 6 (Education) of the Arkansas Code, Section 6-18-708 and Section 6-18-710 are currently available online at:

https://advance.lexis.com/container?config=00JAA3ZTU0NTIzYy0zZDEyLTRhYmQtYmRmMS1iMWIxNDgxYWMxZTQKAFBvZENhdGFsb2cubRW4ifTiwi5vLw6cI1uX&crid=4d48cabd-f71f-4b61-964b-ce02ad0ca803&prid=980cb79d-3615-4c8b-b229-fe3c57b4d11c

(type in concuss! and then search).

The following website offers additional information regarding Arkansas concussion law:

http://www.ahsaa.org/activity/73/sports-medicine