Bill > A5012

Introduced Session

This bill waives the annual physical examination requirement for certain student-athletes who participate in school-sponsored athletic activities during the 2020-2021 school year. Under current law, before a student enrolled in grades six through 12 may participate in a school-sponsored interscholastic or intramural athletic activity, the student-athlete is required to receive a physical examination within 365 days before the first day of official practice of the athletic season. When a student-athlete's physical examination was completed more than 90 days before the first day of official practice, current law also requires the student-athlete to provide a health history update questionnaire, which is completed by the student's parent or guardian and reviewed by the school nurse and athletic trainer. Due to the impact of COVID-19 on the State's health care system, this bill requires the Commissioner of Education to waive the annual preparticipation physical examination requirement during the 2020-2021 school year for any student-athlete who completed: (1) a preparticipation physical examination during the 2019-2020 school year; or (2) a preparticipation physical examination that allowed the student to participate in a school-sponsored athletic activity during the 2019-2020 school year. The bill also provides that if a student-athlete receives the physical examination waiver and participates in a school-sponsored athletic activity during the 2020-2021 school year, then the student-athlete would be required to provide a health history update questionnaire before the first day of official practice of each athletic season in which the student-athlete participates. If the student-athlete answers in the affirmative to any question included in the health history update questionnaire, then the student-athlete may not participate in the school-sponsored athletic activity until he is further evaluated by the school physician, or if a school physician is not available, any other licensed physician.

AI Summary

Committee Categories

Benjie Wimberly (D)*, 

Introduced, Referred to Assembly Education Committee (on 11/19/2020)