Article 5. District Medical Services And Insurance of California Education Code >> Division 4. >> Title 2. >> Part 27. >> Chapter 9. >> Article 5.

The governing board of any school district or districts may provide, or make available, medical or hospital service, or both, through nonprofit membership corporations defraying the cost of medical service or hospital service, or both, or through group, blanket or individual policies of accident insurance from authorized insurer, for pupils of the district or districts injured while participating in athletic activities under the jurisdiction of, or sponsored or controlled by, the district or districts or the authorities of any school of the district or districts. The cost of the insurance or membership may be paid, from the funds of the district or districts, or by the insured pupil, his parent or guardian. The insurance may be purchased from, or the membership may be taken in, only such companies or corporations as are authorized to do business in this state.

If the governing board of any school district maintaining junior high schools or high schools does not provide or make available medical and hospital services for pupils of the district injured while participating in athletic activities, in accordance with Section 49470, the board shall notify, in writing, the parent or guardian of each pupil of the district participating in such athletic activities that the services are not provided or made available by the governing board.

(a) If funding is made available for this purpose, the Legislature requests the University of California to design a study and conduct a representative sampling of pupil injuries from participation in high school athletic events over a period of three school years commencing with the 2000-01 school year. It is further the intent of the Legislature that the University of California consult with the State Board of Education and the State Department of Education regarding the design of the study and regarding the university's procedure for ensuring the success of the project. The data shall be compiled and analyzed so as to permit valid conclusions to be drawn and recommendations to be made regarding, at a minimum, all of the following:
  (1) The actual statewide frequency of injuries and reinjuries.
  (2) Methods for creating intervention programs to decrease the incidence of injuries.
  (3) The number and extent of training of primary health personnel responsible for the care of athletes at the high schools.
  (4) Possible methods for decreasing health care costs due to improper evaluation and care of athletic injuries.
  (5) Identifying risk factors for high school athletes including factors relating to the severity of injuries, the immediate evaluation, care, and treatment of injuries, and the time loss associated with injuries.
  (6) Recommended programs, policies, and procedures designed to provide long-term solutions for preventing injuries to high school athletes.
  (7) Developing an athletic safety plan, including, but not limited to, written safety standards of care for high school athletes.
  (b) The completed project, including an executive summary, key findings, conclusions, and recommendations, shall be disseminated to all public high schools in the state, and shall be submitted to the Legislature and the State Board of Education by December 1, 2003.
  (c) The annual General Fund costs of the program shall not exceed seventy-five thousand dollars ($75,000).
  (d) This section shall apply to the University of California only if its participation is approved by resolution of the Regents of the University of California.

The governing board of any school district or districts which does not employ at least five physicians as full-time supervisors of health, or the equivalent thereof, may provide, or make available, medical or hospital service, or both, through nonprofit membership corporations defraying the cost of medical service or hospital service, or both, or through group, blanket or individual policies of accident insurance or through policies of liability insurance from authorized insurers, for injuries to pupils of the district or districts arising out of accidents occurring while in or on buildings and other premises of the district or districts during the time such pupils are required to be therein or thereon by reason of their attendance upon a regular day school of such district or districts or while being transported by the district or districts to and from school or other place of instruction, or while at any other place as an incident to school-sponsored activities and while being transported to, from and between such places. No pupils shall be compelled to accept such service without his consent, or if a minor without the consent of his parent or guardian. The cost of the insurance or membership may be paid, from the funds of the district or districts, or by the insured pupil, his parent or guardian. Such insurance may be purchased from, or such membership may be taken in, only such companies or corporations as are authorized to do business in California.

To facilitate the authority referred to in Sections 49470 and 49472 the governing board of the school district or school districts may authorize the distribution by district personnel of such printed matter as may be furnished by the insurer or membership corporation.

The governing board of any school district or districts may provide, or make available, ambulance service, paid for out of school district funds, for pupils, instructors, spectators, and other individuals in attendance at athletic activities under the jurisdiction of, or sponsored or controlled by, the district or districts or the authorities of any school of the district or districts.

(a) If a school district, charter school, or private school elects to offer an athletic program, the school district, charter school, or private school shall comply with both of the following:
  (1) An athlete who is suspected of sustaining a concussion or head injury in an athletic activity shall be immediately removed from the athletic activity for the remainder of the day, and shall not be permitted to return to the athletic activity until he or she is evaluated by a licensed health care provider. The athlete shall not be permitted to return to the athletic activity until he or she receives written clearance to return to the athletic activity from a licensed health care provider. If the licensed health care provider determines that the athlete sustained a concussion or a head injury, the athlete shall also complete a graduated return-to-play protocol of no less than seven days in duration under the supervision of a licensed health care provider. The California Interscholastic Federation is urged to work in consultation with the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Medical Society for Sports Medicine to develop and adopt rules and protocols to implement this paragraph.
  (2) On a yearly basis, a concussion and head injury information sheet shall be signed and returned by the athlete and the athlete's parent or guardian before the athlete initiates practice or competition.
  (b) As used in this section, "licensed health care provider" means a licensed health care provider who is trained in the management of concussions and is acting within the scope of his or her practice.
  (c) This section does not apply to an athlete engaging in an athletic activity during the regular schoolday or as part of a physical education course required pursuant to subdivision (d) of Section 51220.