JACKSON, Miss.–If your child plays junior high or high school sports, especially football, you might be biting your nails every time there’s a big play because of the risk of concussion. With a bill passed in the Mississippi House Thursday, ou might still worry, but there’s now a reason to breathe just a little easier.
The bill, which made it out of committee and onto the House floor Thursday, passed 117 to 1. It must now go to the Senate and meet the governor’s approval before it becomes law.
It requires that students in grades 7 through 12 who play sports and get a concussion may only play again if they are cleared by a doctor.
The bill also requires the state Dept. of Education to initiate a concussion education component, possibly online.
LINK: Bill description at House website: http://billstatus.ls.state.ms.us/2014/pdf/history/HB/HB0048.xml
A concussion bill has been brought up in the legislature for at least the past two years.
The only person who voted against the measure was Rep. Herb Frierson (R-Poplarville).
