Bill Text: OR SB818 | 2013 | Regular Session | Introduced

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Bill Title: Relating to the safety of student athletes; declaring an emergency.

Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Democrat 6-1)

Status: (Failed) 2013-07-08 - In committee upon adjournment. [SB818 Detail]

Download: Oregon-2013-SB818-Introduced.html

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     77th OREGON LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY--2013 Regular Session

NOTE:  Matter within  { +  braces and plus signs + } in an
amended section is new. Matter within  { -  braces and minus
signs - } is existing law to be omitted. New sections are within
 { +  braces and plus signs + } .

LC 3708

                         Senate Bill 818

Sponsored by Senator MONNES ANDERSON; Senators BATES, ROBLAN,
  Representatives GELSER, KENY-GUYER, LIVELY, THOMPSON

                             SUMMARY

The following summary is not prepared by the sponsors of the
measure and is not a part of the body thereof subject to
consideration by the Legislative Assembly. It is an editor's
brief statement of the essential features of the measure as
introduced.

  Requires school district boards to adopt policy related to
cardiac incidents.
  Declares emergency, effective July 1, 2013.

                        A BILL FOR AN ACT
Relating to the safety of student athletes; and declaring an
  emergency.
  Whereas commotio cordis is a potentially fatal cardiac
arrhythmia that occurs when there is a sudden, often
innocuous-appearing blow to the chest that disrupts the
electrical rhythm of an otherwise normal heart; and
  Whereas commotio cordis is usually related to a blow from a
firm projectile, such as a baseball, lacrosse ball, softball or
hockey puck; and
  Whereas commotio cordis is the leading cause of traumatic death
in youth baseball and is the third leading cause of sudden
cardiac death in all young athletes; and
  Whereas youth deaths from commotio cordis exceed deaths from
all sport-related head injuries combined; and
  Whereas the survival rate following commotio cordis can greatly
increase as the result of the early use of an automated external
defibrillator that can restore a normal heart rhythm; and
  Whereas, despite clear evidence that early recognition, early
cardiopulmonary resuscitation and early use of an automated
external defibrillator carry a high likelihood of successful
treatment, relatively low public awareness of this condition
often results in delayed response and a higher incidence of
fatalities; and
  Whereas the risk of commotio cordis can be reduced through
simple interventions, such as education to avoid direct blows to
the breastbone, improved recognition and prompt resuscitation
with cardiopulmonary resuscitation and an automated external
defibrillator, and increased availability of medical personnel at
youth sporting venues; now, therefore,
Be It Enacted by the People of the State of Oregon:
  SECTION 1.  { + (1) As used in this section:
  (a) 'Coach' means a person who instructs or trains members of a
school athletic team, as identified by criteria established by
the State Board of Education by rule.

  (b) 'High-risk sport' includes baseball, softball, football,
lacrosse, soccer, ice hockey, martial arts and any other sport
identified by the State Board of Education by rule as being a
sport in which there is a high risk of a blow to the chest that
could cause cardiac arrhythmia.
  (2) Each school district board shall adopt a policy related to
cardiac incidents. The policy shall:
  (a) Require that information about cardiac arrhythmia caused by
a blow to the chest be provided annually to coaches of high-risk
sports, parents of student athletes participating in high-risk
sports and student athletes participating in high-risk sports
prior to the first practice of the season for each sport.  The
information must include:
  (A) The most common situations in which cardiac arrhythmia
might be caused by a blow to the chest;
  (B) Symptoms and other warning signs that a person is
experiencing cardiac arrhythmia caused by a blow to the chest;
and
  (C) Suggested actions to take when a person is experiencing
cardiac arrhythmia caused by a blow to the chest; and
  (b) Provide for an emergency action plan that outlines core
expectations for evaluation and management of suspected episodes
of cardiac arrhythmia caused by a blow to the chest. The
emergency action plan must include:
  (A) The requirement that at least one person, who is aware of
the action plan and is knowledgeable of its implementation, be
present at each athletic event or practice of a high-risk sport;
and
  (B) Instructions for reporting to a national registry episodes
of cardiac arrhythmia caused by a blow to the chest. + }
  SECTION 2.  { + This 2013 Act being necessary for the immediate
preservation of the public peace, health and safety, an emergency
is declared to exist, and this 2013 Act takes effect July 1,
2013. + }
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