Youth Concussion Act Signed

Tuesday Governor John Hickenlooper signed Senate Bill 11-040, the “Jake Snakenberg Youth Concussion Act” into law.

Senate Bill 40 does the following to protect young athletes:

1) Ensures that coaches of youth sports get training in how to understand the nature and risk of concussions and be able to recognize the signs and symptoms that indicate a young athlete may have sustained a concussion. Training is free, on-line, and takes about 30 minutes to complete.

2) If a coach suspects that a player has sustained a concussion, the athlete must be removed from practice or play and cannot return that same day.

3) Before returning to practice or play, a player who has been removed due to a suspected concussion must be evaluated by a health care provider and receive written clearance from the provider to return to play. In an effort to ensure access across all parts of Colorado, the bill defines the health care providers that can determine if an athlete is ready to return to play—physicians and neuropsychologists along with physician assistants and nurse practitioners.