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Article 3. Insurance For Athletic Teams of California Education Code >> Division 1. >> Title 1. >> Part 19. >> Chapter 2. >> Article 3.

As used in this chapter:
  (a) "Educational institution" means a school district, a community college district, a state university, the University of California, and the State Department of Education special schools.
  (b) "Governing board" means the governing board of a school district or community college district, the Trustees of the California State University, and the Regents of the University of California.
  (c) "Member of an athletic team" means member of any extramural athletic team engaged in athletic events on or outside the school grounds, maintained or sponsored by the educational institution or a student body organization thereof. "Member of an athletic team" also includes members of school bands or orchestras, cheerleaders and their assistants, pompon girls, team managers and their assistants, and any student or pupil selected by the school or student body organization to directly assist in the conduct of the athletic event, including activities incidental thereto, but only while such members are being transported by or under the sponsorship or arrangements of the educational institution or a student body organization thereof to or from a school or other place of instruction and the place at which the athletic event is being conducted. Organized rooting sections, student body members who are spectators, and other spectator students, who are not actually participating in the conduct of the athletic event, are not members of an athletic team. Participants in a playday or field day activity occurring occasionally during a school year, in which students of one or more particular grade levels from two or more schools of a school district or community college district participate in athletic contests, are not members of an athletic team. Nothing in this subdivision shall be construed as prohibiting a governing board from extending the applicability of the provisions of this article to any of those persons, should the governing board elect so to do.
  (d) "Student body organization" means any student organization under supervision of the educational institution or its officers.
The governing board of any educational institution, except a school district or community college district and except the State Department of Education special schools as defined in Sections 59000, 59100, and 59200, shall provide for each member of an athletic team insurance protection for medical and hospital expenses resulting from accidental bodily injuries in an amount of at least five thousand dollars ($5,000) for all services for each member of an athletic team, through group, blanket, or individual policies of accident insurance from authorized insurers, or through a benefit and relief association described in paragraph (1) of subdivision (c) of Section 10493 of the Insurance Code. The coverage shall be for the injury to members of athletic teams arising while the members are engaged in or are preparing for an athletic event promoted under the sponsorship or arrangements of the educational institution or a student body organization thereof or while the members are being transported by or under the sponsorship or arrangements of the educational institution or a student body organization thereof to or from school or other place of instruction and the place of the athletic event. However, the Trustees of the California State University and the Regents of the University of California may authorize and require the student body organizations designated pursuant to this section, to be responsible for such medical and hospital expenses in any amount the trustees or the regents may specify, up to two hundred fifty dollars ($250), in which event the insurance protection for the health and accident expenses may include a deductible clause in the same amount. The governing board of each school district or community college district and the State Department of Education special schools as defined in Sections 59000, 59100, and 59200 shall provide for each member of an athletic team insurance protection for medical and hospital expenses resulting from accidental bodily injuries in one of the following amounts:
  (a) A group or individual medical plan with accidental benefits of at least two hundred dollars ($200) for each occurrence and major medical coverage of at least ten thousand dollars ($10,000), with no more than one hundred dollars ($100) deductible and no less than 80 percent payable for each occurrence.
  (b) Group or individual medical plans which are certified by the Insurance Commissioner to be equivalent to the required coverage of at least one thousand five hundred dollars ($1,500).
  (c) At least one thousand five hundred dollars ($1,500) for all medical and hospital expenses.
Insurance protection in any of the above amounts shall be provided through group, blanket, or individual policies of accident insurance from authorized insurers or through a benefit and relief association described in paragraph (1) of subdivision (c) of Section 10493 of the Insurance Code. The coverage shall be for the injury to members of athletic teams arising while the members are engaged in or are preparing for an athletic event promoted under the sponsorship or arrangements of the educational institution or a student body organization thereof or while the members are being transported by or under the sponsorship or arrangements of the school districts or community college districts or a student body organization thereof to or from school or other place of instruction and the place of the athletic event. Minimum medical benefits under any insurance required by this subdivision shall be equivalent to the three dollars and fifty cents ($3.50) conversion factor as applied to the unit values contained in the minimum fee schedule adopted by the Division of Industrial Accidents of the Department of Industrial Relations, effective October 1, 1966. The Trustees of the California State University and the Board of Regents of the University of California shall designate any student body organizations the trustees and the regents deem appropriate to bear the entire cost of the insurance under this article, in such proportions as they deem equitable, and shall make appropriate deductions from any student body organization funds held by the institutions, or otherwise take such measures, as will assure the payment thereof. The governing boards of the various school districts or community college districts and the State Department of Education special schools shall require that each member of an athletic team have insurance protection as prescribed by this section, with the costs of the insurance protection to be paid either out of the funds of the district or the funds of the student body, or by any other persons on behalf of, the individual team members or students covered by the insurance. In the event that the governing board of a school district or community college district should determine that a member of an athletic team or the parents, guardian, or other person having charge or control of a member of an athletic team are financially unable to pay the costs of insurance protection, then the governing board shall require the costs of the protection to be paid either out of funds of the district or funds of the student body. The insurance required by this article shall be issued by an admitted insurer, or through a benefit and relief association described in paragraph (1) of subdivision (c) of Section 10493 of the Insurance Code. The insurance otherwise required by this section shall not be required for any individual team member or student who has insurance or a reasonable equivalent of health benefits coverage provided for him or her in any other way or manner, including, but not limited to, purchase by himself or herself, or by his or her parent or guardian.
(a) A school district that elects to operate an interscholastic athletic team or teams shall include the following statement, printed in boldface type of prominent size, in offers of insurance coverage that are sent to members of school athletic teams: "Under state law, school districts are required to ensure that all members of school athletic teams have accidental injury insurance that covers medical and hospital expenses. This insurance requirement can be met by the school district offering insurance or other health benefits that cover medical and hospital expenses. Some pupils may qualify to enroll in no-cost or low-cost local, state, or federally sponsored health insurance programs. Information about these programs may be obtained by calling ________ [Insert toll-free telephone number]."
  (b) The statement described in subdivision (a) shall also be incorporated into any other letters or printed materials, in boldface type of prominent size, that contain the name or logo, or both, of the school district and are sent to members of school athletic teams to inform them of the provisions of this article, or any other applicable provision of state law, regarding the provision of insurance protection.
  (c) The statement described in subdivision (a) shall include the toll-free telephone number or numbers for any of the following:
  (1) The Healthy Families Program.
  (2) Medi-Cal.
  (3) Any other comparable toll-free telephone number for a no-cost or low-cost local, state, or federally sponsored health insurance program.
  (d) All notices regarding insurance protection for members of athletic teams that are sent to team members are required to be translated pursuant to Section 48985.
Any claim for accidental bodily injuries described in this article which is subject to, and for which benefits have been paid under, the provisions of Division 4 (commencing with Section 3200) of the Labor Code is excluded from the required coverage and benefits under this article. Recreation activities under Chapter 10 (commencing with Section 10900) of Part 7 of this division, are excluded from the required coverage and benefits of this article.
The coverage provided under this article shall not exclude additional or broader coverage by an educational institution or its student body organization.
The insurance coverage provided under this article may contain the following provisions:
  (1) School administrative authorities shall certify whether an injured student applying for the insurance benefits is a student of the educational institution and is enrolled as a member of an athletic team.
  (2) The injured student, or his parents or guardian, shall notify school administrative authorities of his injury not later than 60 days from the date of injury.
  (3) Medical or hospital care or treatment must commence within 120 days from the date of injury.
  (4) The period of time for which benefits shall be payable is limited to 52 weeks from the date the student received his first medical or hospital care or treatment. Benefits shall be payable only for such treatment as is given within the United States.