Florida HB 563: Repetitive Head Impact Prevention

Bill Text

HB 563 2026

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb563-00
Page 1 of 5
F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S

A bill to be entitled 1
An act relating to repetitive head impact prevention; 2
providing a short title; creating s. 381.996, F.S.; 3
providing legislative findings; providing definitions; 4
requiring parents and legal guardians registering 5
children in high-risk sports to receive specified 6
educational materials; providing requirements for such 7
materials; requiring certain athletic directors, 8
coaches, referees, and trainers to complete specified 9
training; requiring the State Surgeon General, in 10
collaboration with certain persons and entities, to 11
develop specified continuing education courses for 12
certain persons; establishing the Florida Brain Health 13
in Sports Panel within the Department of Health; 14
providing requirements for the panel; authorizing the 15
department to use certain funds for certain purposes; 16
providing rulemaking authority to the department; 17
creating s. 683.339, F.S.; designating September 24 of 18
each year as "Parkman-Lewis Day"; providing an 19
effective date. 20
21
Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 22
23
Section 1. This act may be cited as the "Mac Parkman and 24
Ray Lewis III Act." 25

HB 563 2026

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb563-00
Page 2 of 5
F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S

Section 2. Section 381.996, Florida Statutes, is created 26
to read: 27
381.996 Repetitive head impact prevention.— 28
(1) The Legislature finds that: 29
(a) Repetitive head impacts are inherent in high-risk 30
sports and are the root cause of chronic traumatic 31
encephalopathy. 32
(b) Youth under 18 years of age are especially vulnerable 33
due to ongoing brain development. 34
(c) Families, coaches, and even medical professionals 35
often lack information and training on repetitive head impacts 36
and chronic traumatic encephalopathy. 37
(d) Education, awareness, and informed consent are 38
necessary to protect children, reduce health and social costs, 39
and honor the memories of Mac Parkman and Ray Lewis III. 40
(2) As used in this section, the term: 41
(a) "Brain-safe sports" means sports that minimize the 42
risk of head injuries, including, but not limited to, 43
concussions and long-term brain damage such as chronic traumatic 44
encephalopathy. The term includes basketball, baseball, 45
volleyball, track, swimming, and tennis. 46
(b) "Department" means the Department of Health. 47
(c) "High-risk sports" means a sport in which a player is 48
routinely subject to repetitive head impacts and includes 49
football, soccer, hockey, boxing, lacrosse, wrestling, rugby, 50

HB 563 2026

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb563-00
Page 3 of 5
F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S

cheerleading. 51
(d) "Repetitive head impacts" means subconcussive or 52
concussive impacts to the brain that accumulate over time 53
regardless of immediate symptoms. 54
(3) Beginning with the 2026–2027 school year, a parent or 55
legal guardian registering a child in a high-risk sport shall 56
receive standardized educational materials on repetitive head 57
impacts and chronic traumatic encephalopathy. 58
(a) The parent or legal guardian must sign and return an 59
acknowledgment form before the child participates in a high-risk 60
sport. 61
(b) The department, in consultation with the Department of 62
Education and the Florida High School Athletic Association, 63
shall develop and annually update the materials. 64
(c) The materials must explain the science of repetitive 65
head impacts and chronic traumatic encephalopathy, risks 66
associated with early participation, signs and symptoms of brain 67
injury and related mental illness, and safer alternatives of 68
brain-safe sports. 69
(4)(a) Athletic directors, coaches, referees, and trainers 70
of high-risk sports at the youth and high school levels must 71
annually complete mandatory repetitive head impacts and chronic 72
traumatic encephalopathy awareness training approved by the 73
department. 74
(b) The State Surgeon General shall collaborate with 75

HB 563 2026

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb563-00
Page 4 of 5
F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S

nonprofit organizations, state universities, and medical experts 76
to develop continuing education courses for physicians, nurses, 77
physician assistants, psychiatrists, psychologists, coroners, 78
suicide-prevention specialists, athletic trainers, coaches, and 79
youth sports officials. 80
(5)(a) There is established within the department the 81
Florida Brain Health in Sports Panel, an advisory council as 82
defined in s. 20.03(7), is created within the Department of 83
Health. Except as otherwise provided in this section, the panel 84
shall