Bill > H1938

This bill establishes a special commission, with no more than 15 members, to study concussions that happen in varsity sports at both public and private high schools. The commission will be chaired by the Commissioner of Public Health or their representative and will include medical professionals specializing in head injuries, the executive director of the Brain Injury Association of MA, appointees from legislative leadership, the executive director of the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA), a high school athletic director, a representative from private high schools, a parent of a current high school student, and coaches and other interested parties, with consideration given to diversity in race, gender, and geographic representation. The commission's main goals are to analyze existing data on how common sports-related concussions are and what causes them, examine current rules and safety policies for each sport, and then propose recommendations to reduce concussion occurrences and improve how concussions are identified and managed, including suggesting any necessary changes to laws. The commission is required to submit its final findings to the Joint Committee on Public Health by February 1, 2016, with an interim report due by December 1, 2015.