As pre-filed for the 2012 Georgia legislative session, House Bill 673, sponsored by Billy Mitchell (D-Stone Mountain), seeks to enact "Georgia's Return to Play Act of 2012." The legislation would require the State Board of Education to develop and distribute mandatory guidelines to local school boards to inform and educate coaches, student-athletes, and their parents or guardians of the nature and risk of concussions, including criteria for removal from and return to play and risks of not reporting the injury and continuing to play.

Under the bill, any student-athlete that a coach, athletic trainer, or team physician suspects has sustained a concussion or brain injury must be immediately removed from activity.  Said student-athlete shall not return to play that same day until, among other things, they have been evaluated by an appropriate licensed healthcare provider as determined by the State Board of Education. 

GAPA’s Legislative and Governmental Affairs (LGA) Committee will provide more information about this bill and other relevant introduced in the 2012 General Assembly via a series of legislative blogs, which will be made available exclusively to GAPA members, beginning in January.

The full text and status of this bill may be accessed via this link: http://www.legis.ga.gov/Legislation/en-US/display/20112012/HB/673