Bill Text: NJ S317 | 2012-2013 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Requires DOE to develop and distribute information regarding hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and expands role and membership of New Jersey Student Athlete Cardiac Screening Task Force.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2012-01-10 - Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Education Committee [S317 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2012-S317-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
215th LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2012 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Senator JIM WHELAN
District 2 (Atlantic)
SYNOPSIS
Requires DOE to develop and distribute information regarding hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and expands role and membership of New Jersey Student Athlete Cardiac Screening Task Force.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel
An Act concerning certain health information for public school athletics, amending P.L.2009, c.260 and P.L.2007, c.125, 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:
1. Section 2 of P.L.2009, c.260 is amended to read as follows:
2. a. There is established the New Jersey Student Athlete Cardiac Screening Task Force in the Department of Health and Senior Services.
The purpose of the task force shall be to study and evaluate, and develop recommendations relating to, specific actionable measures to enhance screening of student athletes for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and other cardiac conditions that will help identify student athletes who are at risk for sudden cardiac death. The task force shall also review the annual athletic pre-participation physical examination form developed by the Commissioner of Education in accordance with State Board of Education regulations and develop recommendations for revisions to the form.
b. The task force shall consist of [eight] 11 members as follows:
(1) the Commissioners of Health and Senior Services and Education or their designees, who shall serve ex officio; [and]
(2) six members, who shall be appointed by the Commissioner of Health and Senior Services no later than the 60th day after the effective date of [this act] P.L.2009, c.260, as follows: one person who represents the American Heart Association; one person who represents the American Academy of Pediatrics, New Jersey Chapter; one person who represents the American College of Cardiology; one person who represents the New Jersey State School Nurses Association; one person who represents the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association and one person who represents the New Jersey Academy of Family Physicians; and
(3) three members, who shall be appointed by the Commissioner of Health and Senior Services no later than the 60th day after the effective date of P.L. , c. (pending before the Legislature as this bill), from among the following persons or organizations: the Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Association; the coach of a high school athletic team; the parent or guardian of a child who has been diagnosed with, or has died from, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, and the Athletic Trainers' Society of New Jersey.
Vacancies in the membership of
the task force shall be filled in
the same manner provided for the original appointments.
c. The task force shall organize as soon as practicable following the appointment of its members pursuant to P.L.2009, c.260 and shall hold its initial meeting no later than the 120th day after the effective date of [this act] P.L.2009, c.260. The task force shall select a chairperson and vice-chairperson from among the members, and the chairperson shall appoint a secretary who need not be a member of the task force.
d. The public members shall serve without compensation, but shall be reimbursed for necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their duties and within the limits of funds available to the task force.
e. The task force shall be entitled to call to its assistance and avail itself of the services of the employees of any State, county or municipal department, board, bureau, commission or agency as it may require and as may be available to it for its purposes.
f. The task force may meet and hold hearings as it deems appropriate.
g. The Department of Health and Senior Services shall provide staff support to the task force.
(cf: P.L.2009, c.260, s.2)
2. Section 1 of P.L.2007, c.125 (C.18A:40-41) is amended to read as follows:
1. a. The Commissioner of Education, in consultation with the Commissioner of Health and Senior Services, the American Heart Association, and the American Academy of Pediatrics, shall develop [a pamphlet that provides] an awareness program to provide information about sudden cardiac death and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy to [the] students, parents or guardians of [student athletes] students, and coaches. The [pamphlet] program shall include [an explanation of] information about sudden cardiac death, its incidence among student athletes, a description of early warning signs, [and] an overview of the options that are privately available to screen for cardiac conditions that may lead to sudden cardiac death, including a statement about the limitations of these options, information on the causes and symptoms of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a description of examination options available to diagnose hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, and available treatment options.
b. The commissioner shall distribute the [pamphlet] information, at no charge, to all school districts in the State. The commissioner shall update the [pamphlet] information as necessary, and shall make [additional copies] the information available to nonpublic schools upon request.
c. In the [2007-2008] first school year beginning after the effective date of P.L. , c. (pending before the Legislature as this bill) and in each school year thereafter, each school district shall distribute the [pamphlet] information to [the] students, parents or guardians of students [participating in school sports], and coaches.
(cf: P.L.2007, c.125, s.1)
3. (New section) In each school year, prior to the first practice or competition of a school-sponsored interscholastic or intramural athletic team or squad, the coach shall inform all students participating on the athletic team or squad of options that are privately available for screening for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.
4. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill requires that the Department of Education, in consultation with the Department of Health and Senior Services, the American Heart Association, and the American Academy of Pediatrics, develop a program that provides information regarding hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Under current law, these entities collaborate to develop a pamphlet related to sudden cardiac death among student athletes. The Commissioner of Education distributes the pamphlet to all school districts, and, upon request, nonpublic schools. The school districts then disseminate the information to parents or guardians of student athletes. Under this bill, these entities will add information related specifically to hypertrophic cardiomyopathy to the information. The bill requires that school districts provide the information to all students, their parents or guardians, and coaches. Coaches would also be required to provide students participating in a sport with information on options that are privately available for screening for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.
The bill also expands the role and membership of the New Jersey Student Athlete Cardiac Screening Task Force. Under current law, the task force, which was established pursuant to P.L.2009, c.260, is composed of eight members, including the Commissioners of Health and Senior Services and Education, five members representing various medical associations, and one person representing the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association; these six members are appointed by the Commissioner of Health and Senior Services. The purpose of the task force is to study and evaluate, and make recommendations relating to, measures that may be taken to enhance screening of student athletes for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and other cardiac conditions. Under this bill, the task force would be expanded to include three additional members. The Commissioner of Health and Senior Services will select the additional members from among the following persons or organizations: the Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Association, the coach of a high school athletic team, the parent or guardian of a child who has been diagnosed with or died from hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, and the Athletic Trainers' Society of New Jersey. The task force will also review the Department of Education's annual athletic pre-participation physical examination form and develop recommendations for revisions to the form.
