HBA-JEK C.S.H.B. 2452 77(R)BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisC.S.H.B. 2452 By: Hochberg Public Education 4/8/2001 Committee Report (Substituted) BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The University Interscholastic League (UIL) was created to lead and organize the extracurricular activities of public schools. UIL sets guidelines and procedures for participation in academic and athletic competitions. Currently, UIL encourages but does not require each school to have medical emergency procedures at athletic contests. In the absence of a standard medical procedures policy, some students may return to competition before fully recovering from injury. C.S.H.B. 2452 establishes the University Interscholastic League Medical Board and requires the board to adopt medical policies and procedures for student participation in UIL athletic competitions. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that rulemaking authority is expressly delegated to the University Interscholastic League Medical Board in SECTION 1 (Section 33.0841, Education Code) of this bill. ANALYSIS C.S.H.B. 2452 amends the Education Code to establish the University Interscholastic League Medical Board (board). The bill provides that a person must be a licensed and practicing medical professional in this state to be eligible to serve as a member. The bill provides that the board is composed of one physician specializing in sports medicine, one physician specializing in general pediatric medicine, one physician specializing in orthopedic medicine and working with children or adolescents as an athletic team physician, one pediatric neurologist or pediatric neurosurgeon, one physician specializing in family medicine, one representative of the University Interscholastic League (UIL), one athletic team coach working in a high school, and one athletic trainer appropriately licensed and working in a high school, all to be appointed by the governor. C.S.H.B. 2452 requires the medical board by rule to adopt no later than June 1, 2002, a uniform medical policy for students, campuses, and school districts participating in UIL competitions. The rules must include minimum requirements for any physical examinations and medical screenings conducted to determine student eligibility for UIL athletic competitions as well as criteria designed to ensure that any student who sustains bodily injury is medically fit to resume training for or participate in UIL athletic competition. The rules must also include procedures designed to ensure that the parent or guardian of a student who sustains bodily injury has all of the medical information necessary to make an informed decision regarding the student's resumption of training for or participation in a UIL athletic competition. The bill provides that a rule adopted by the board is not effective unless the commissioner of education (commissioner) approves the rule. The bill requires the State Executive Committee of UIL to disqualify a school from UIL athletic competition if the school permits an ineligible student to participate in the competition in violation of a rule, and requires the commissioner to determine the duration of the period of disqualification. EFFECTIVE DATE On passage, or if the Act does not receive the necessary vote, the Act takes effect September 1, 2001. The Act applies beginning with the 2002-2003 school year. COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL TO SUBSTITUTE C.S.H.B. 2452 differs from the original bill by expanding the membership of the University Interscholastic League (UIL) Medical Board (board). The substitute authorizes the commissioner of education to consult with the board in approving a medical policy rule and removes the provision that a rule adopted by UIL or a school district policy that directly affects the health of students participating in a UIL athletic competition is not effective unless approved by the board. The substitute provides that the board rules must include procedures designed to ensure that any student who sustains a bodily injury is medically fit to resume training for or participate in a UIL athletic competition and that the parent or guardian of such a student has all of the medical information necessary to make an informed decision regarding the student's resumption of training or participation.