New Jersey S 695: Requires public school student with concussion to be evaluated by physician or other licensed health care provider before return to school and return to physical activity at school.

Bill Text

SENATE, No. 695  
 
STATE OF NEW JERSEY 
220th LEGISLATURE 
   
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2022 SESSION 
 
 
Sponsored by: 
Senator  JAMES BEACH 
District 6 (Burlington and Camden) 
Senator  M. TERESA RUIZ 
District 29 (Essex) 
 
Co-Sponsored by: 
Senators Vitale, Cruz-Perez, Sacco, Codey, Stack, Pennacchio, Thompson, 
Turner and Madden 
 
 
 
 
SYNOPSIS 
 Requires public school student with concussion to be evaluated by physician 
or  other  licensed  health  care  provider  before  return  to  school  and  return  to 
physical activity at school.  
 
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT  
 Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel. 
    

 
S695 BEACH, RUIZ 
2 
 
 
AN ACT concerning   the   health   of   students   and   supplementing 1 
chapter 40 of Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes. 2 
 3 
 BE IT ENACTED by the Senate and General Assembly of the State 4 
of New Jersey: 5 
 6 
 1. a.    A  student  enrolled  in  a  school  district  who  sustains  a 7 
concussion shall receive an evaluation by a physician or other licensed 8 
health  care provider  trained  in  the  evaluation  and  management  of 9 
concussions, and  written  clearance  from a  physician  trained  in  the 10 
evaluation and management of concussions to return to school.  In the 11 
event  that  the physician provides  notice  that  the  student  requires 12 
restrictions  or  limitations,  the  school  district  504  team  as  defined  in 13 
N.J.A.C.6A:8-1.3   shall  immediately   implement   the   restrictions   or 14 
limitations  and  shall  notify  all  teachers  and  staff  who  have  contact 15 
with students of the restrictions or limitations.  The school district’s 16 
504  team, in  consultation  with  the  physician  who  provided  notice, 17 
shall   promptly   identify   the   manner   in   which   the   restrictions   or 18 
limitations  will  be  provided  to  the  student  during  recovery  and  the 19 
need   for   the   continuation   or   adjustment   of   the   restrictions   or 20 
limitations,   and   to   determine   the   duration   of   the   restrictions   or 21 
limitations.  22 
 b. A   student   enrolled   in   a   school   district   who   sustains   a 23 
concussion  is  prohibited  from  engaging  in  any  physical  activity  at 24 
school  including,  but  not  limited  to,  recess, physical  education, or 25 
intramural  sports, and  shall  not  participate  in  any  physical  activity  at 26 
school  until  the  student  is  evaluated  by  a physician  or  other licensed 27 
health  care provider  trained  in  the  evaluation  and  management  of 28 
concussions and receives written clearance from a physician trained in 29 
the   evaluation   and   management   of   concussions to participate   in 30 
physical activity. 31 
 32 
 2. This act shall take effect immediately. 33 
 34 
 35 
STATEMENT 36 
 37 
 This bill provides that a student enrolled in a school district who 38 
sustains  a  concussion  must  receive  an  evaluation  by  a  physician  or 39 
other  licensed  health  care provider  trained  in  the  evaluation  and 40 
management of concussions and written clearance from one of these 41 
physicians  in  order  to  return  to  school.    In  the  event  that  the 42 
physician  provides  notice  that  the  student  requires  restrictions  or 43 
limitations,    the    school    district   504    team    must    immediately 44 
implement the  restrictions  or  limitations  and  notify  all teachers  and 45 
staff  who  have  contact  with  the  student  of  the  restrictions  or 46 
limitations.  The school district’s 504 team, in consultation with the 47 
physician who provided notice, would promptly identify the manner 48 

 
S695 BEACH, RUIZ 
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in  which  the  restrictions  or  limitations  would  be  provided  to  the 1 
student   during   recovery   and   the   need   for   the   continuation   or 2 
adjustment  of  the  restrictions  or  limitations,  and  to  determine  the 3 
duration of the restrictions or limitations. 4 
 The  bill  also  provides  that  a  student  enrolled  in  a  school  district 5 
who  sustains  a  concussion  is  prohibited  from  engaging  in  any 6 
physical  activity  at  school  including,  but  not  limited  to,  recess, 7 
physical  education,  or  intramural  sports.    The  student  may  not 8 
participate  in  any  physical  activity  until  he  is  evaluated  by  a 9 
physician  or  other  licensed  health  care  provider  trained  in  the 10 
evaluation  and  management  of  concussions and  he  receives  written 11 
clearance from the physician to participate. 12