H.R. 7590 — Protecting Student Athletes from Concussions Act

This section requires each state receiving funds under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6301 et seq.) that does not already meet specified requirements as of enactment to enact legislation or issue regulations establishing minimum concussion safety and management standards by the last day of the fifth full fiscal year after enactment (referred to as the "compliance deadline"). Those standards include the following for local educational agencies (LEAs) and schools: (1) developing and implementing a standard concussion safety and management plan, in consultation with community members, that (A) educates students, parents, and school personnel (e.g., via training on prevention, recognition, response, and academic consequences; dissemination of forms, treatment plans, and fact sheets); (B) supports student recovery, regardless of when or where the concussion occurred (e.g., via multi-disciplinary teams providing academic accommodations, progressive reintroduction to activities, and evaluation under section 614 of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act [20 U.S.C. 1414] or section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 [29 U.S.C. 794] if symptoms persist); and (C) promotes best practices (e.g., uniform standards and public dissemination of information); (2) posting peer-reviewed information on concussions (e.g., from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) visibly on school grounds and school websites, covering risks, student actions, signs, and symptoms (and optionally definitions, prevention, and academic effects); (3) requiring designated school personnel (with at least one at every school-sponsored activity) to immediately remove a student suspected of a concussion from participation, prohibit return that day or until cleared, and report injury details and actions to parents, regardless of when or where the concussion occurred; and (4) requiring a written release from a health care professional before a student with a concussion resumes school-sponsored athletic activities, potentially including a progressive recovery plan with rest and reintroduction of demands.

This section establishes definitions for terms used in the Act. It defines (1) "concussion" as a type of mild traumatic brain injury caused by a blow or jolt to the head or body that disrupts brain function, causing transient confusion, memory dysfunction, loss of consciousness under 30 minutes, or physical, cognitive, emotional, or sleep-related symptoms, occurring with or without loss of consciousness during organized sports or recreational activities; (2) "health care professional" as an individual trained and licensed by a state to diagnose and manage concussions and pediatric traumatic brain injury; (3) "local educational agency" and "State" as having the meanings given in section 8101 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965; (4) "related services personnel" as individuals providing related services, as defined in section 602 of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act; and (5) "school-sponsored athletic activity" as physical education classes, non-instructional school-authorized activities during the school day, school-organized extracurricular sports teams or clubs, or recess activities.