A1599 —

A1599 AED Statement 5/12/21 ASSEMBLY EDUCATION COMMITTEE   STATEMENT TO   ASSEMBLY, No.

1599   STATE OF NEW JERSEY 219th LEGISLATURE   PRE-FILEDDATED: FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2020 SESSION     Sponsored by:

Assemblywoman  MAY PAMELA12, R.        The Assembly Education Committee reports favorably Assembly Bill No.

LAMPITT1599. District 6 (Burlington and Camden) Assemblyman  DANIEL R.

BENSON     DistrictThis 14bill (Mercerprovides that a student enrolled in a school district who sustains a concussion must receive an evaluation by a licensed health care professional and Middlesex)written Assemblywoman clearance MILAfrom M.the licensed health care professional to return to school.  In the event that the licensed health care professional provides notice that the student requires restrictions or limitations, the school district 504 team, as defined in N.J.A.C.6A:8-1.3, (a group of persons that makes program and placement decisions according to Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, 29 U.S.C.

JASEY District 27 (Essex and Morris) Assemblyman  GORDON M.

JOHNSON District 37 (Bergen) Assemblywoman  GABRIELA M.

MOSQUERA District 4 (Camden and Gloucester) Assemblywoman  NANCY J.

PINKIN District 18 (Middlesex) Assemblywoman  ANGELICA M.

JIMENEZ District 32 (Bergen and Hudson) Assemblyman  JOHN DIMAIO District 23 (Hunterdon, Somerset and Warren) Assemblyman  BENJIE E.

WIMBERLY District 35 (Bergen and Passaic)   Co-Sponsored by:

Assemblywoman Tucker, Assemblyman Giblin, Assemblywomen N.Munoz, Chaparro, Assemblyman Bramnick, Assemblywomen McKnight, B.DeCroce, Vainieri Huttle, Reynolds-Jackson, Assemblymen Danielsen, Schaer, Assemblywomen DiMaso, Carter and Dunn     SYNOPSIS      Requires public school students with concussion to be evaluated by licensed health care professionals before return to school;

requires school districts to provide restrictions or limitations to student as needed.

  CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT      Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel.

   An Act concerning the health of students and supplementing chapter 40 of Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes.

       Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

       1.    a.  A student enrolled in a school district who sustains a concussion shall receive an evaluation by a licensed health care professional and written clearance from the licensed health care professional to return to school.  In the event that the licensed health care professional provides notice that the student requires restrictions or limitations, the school district 504 team as defined in N.J.A.C.6A:8-1.3 shall immediately implement the restrictions or limitations and shall notify all teachers and staff who have contact with students of the restrictions or limitations.  The school district’s 504 team shall promptly identify the manner in which the restrictions or limitations will be provided to the student during recovery and the need for the continuation or adjustment of the restrictions or limitations, and to determine the duration of the restrictions or limitations.

     b.    A student enrolled in a school district who sustains a concussion is prohibited from engaging in any physical activity at school including, but not limited to, recess or physical education, and shall not participate in any physical activity at school until the student is evaluated by a licensed health care professional and receives written clearance from the licensed health care professional to participate in physical activity.

     c.     As used in this section, "licensed health care professional" means a health care provider whose scope of practice includes the ability to diagnose and treat concussion.

       2.    This act shall take effect immediately.

    STATEMENT        This bill provides that a student enrolled in a school district who sustains a concussion must receive an evaluation by a licensed health care professional and written clearance from the licensed health care professional to return to school.  In the event that the licensed health care professional provides notice that the student requires restrictions or limitations, the school district 504 team, as defined in N.J.A.C.6A:8-1.3, (a group of persons that makes program and placement decisions according to Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, 29 U.S.C.

      This bill was pre-filed for introduction in the 2020-2021 session pending technical review.  As reported, the bill includes the changes required by technical review, which has been performed.