Bill Text: NJ A1825 | 2012-2013 | Regular Session | Chaptered

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Bill Title: Requires DOE to develop educational fact sheet for distribution to parents concerning sports-related eye injuries.

Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Democrat 5-1)

Status: (Passed) 2014-01-13 - Approved P.L.2013, c.183. [A1825 Detail]

Download: New_Jersey-2012-A1825-Chaptered.html

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§§1,2 -

C.18A:40-41.8 &

18A:40-41.9

 

P.L.2013, CHAPTER 183, approved January 13, 2014

Assembly, No. 1825 (First Reprint)

 

 

An Act concerning protective eyewear for children participating in sports and supplementing chapter 40 of Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes.

 

     Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

 

     ¹1.   The Legislature finds and declares that:

     a.    Eye injuries are the leading cause of preventable blindness and visual impairment in children, and most injuries occurring in school-aged children are sports-related;

     b.    Every 16 minutes a child incurs a sports-related eye injury severe enough to require a visit to the emergency room;

     c.    According to Prevent Blindness America, 90% of all eye injuries can be avoided by the use of appropriate eye protection; and

     d.    It is necessary and prudent to educate parents and children about sports-related eye injuries in order to reduce the needless loss of sight that can occur during sports activities.¹

 

     ¹[1.] 2.¹     a.  The Commissioner of Education ¹[, in consultation with the Commissioner of Health,]¹ shall develop ¹[by the 2013-2014 school year] within 120 days of the effective date of this act¹, an educational fact sheet that provides information about sports-related eye injuries.  The educational fact sheet shall include, but need not be limited to:

     (1)   a list of the most common sports-related eye injuries and the recognition of the symptoms of those injuries;

     (2)   a recommendation that children seek treatment and advice from a licensed health care professional regarding the appropriate amount of time to delay the return to sports competition or practice after sustaining an eye injury;

     (3)   a recommendation that all children participating in school sports or recreational sports wear protective eyewear;

     (4)   information concerning the purchase of appropriate protective eyewear; and

     (5)   any other information the commissioner deems appropriate.

     b.    Each school district and nonpublic school shall distribute the educational fact sheet annually to the parents or guardians of the  students.

 

     ¹[2. a. As used in this section, a "youth sports team organization" means one or more sports teams organized pursuant to a nonprofit or similar charter or which are member teams in a league organized by or affiliated with a county or municipal recreation department.

     b.    A youth sports team organization shall request from the Department of Education a copy of the educational fact sheet developed pursuant to section 1 of P.L.     , c.   (C.    ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill) for distribution to the parents or guardians of children who participate on the youth sports team. The organization shall obtain a signed acknowledgment of the receipt of the fact sheet by the child and his parent or guardian.]¹

 

     3.    This act shall take effect immediately.

 

 

                                

 

     Requires DOE to develop educational fact sheet for distribution to parents concerning sports-related eye injuries.