Gary Wolensky, Anne Marie Ellis, and Paul Alarcon presented in conjunction with Exponent Engineering and Scientific Consulting Firm.
With spring break camps and summer vacation around the corner, you must understand and comply with this new law immediately!
Effective January 1, 2017, California enacted a youth sports concussion/head injury law that applies to organizations, businesses, nonprofit entities, or local governmental agencies that sponsor or conduct amateur sports competitions, training, camps or clubs in which children 17 years of age or younger participate in the following sports:
Baseball, Basketball, Bicycle Motorcross (BMX), Boxing, Competitive Cheerleading, Diving, Equestrian Activities, Field Hockey, Football, Full Contact Martial Arts, Gymnastics, Ice Hockey, Lacrosse, Parkour, Rodeo, Roller Derby, Rugby, Skateboarding, Skiing, Soccer, Softball, Surfing, Swimming, Synchronized Swimming, Volleyball, Water Polo, Wrestling
Under the law, you must provide training and education to participants as well as coaches, and develop policies and procedures to ensure compliance. You must also ensure that youth participants do not return to play following a suspected concussion until they are approved to play by a qualified health care provider. Finally, you must provide notice to parents of concussions as well as educational materials to the parents or guardians of youth participants. However, the law does not provide any guidance on how to comply. We can help your organization get up to speed and compliant with this new law.
