CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REP. NO. 85-16

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                 , 2016

 

RE:    S.B. No. 2557

       S.D. 2

       H.D. 1

       C.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2016

State of Hawaii

 

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2016

State of Hawaii

 

Sirs:

 

     Your Committee on Conference on the disagreeing vote of the Senate to the amendments proposed by the House of Representatives in S.B. No. 2557, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO CONCUSSIONS,"

 

having met, and after full and free discussion, has agreed to recommend and does recommend to the respective Houses the final passage of this bill in an amended form.

 

     The purpose of this measure is to:

 

     (1)  Expand the scope of the concussion educational program under Act 197, Session Laws of Hawaii 2012, to include youth athletics;

 

     (2)  Incorporate additional requirements into the concussion educational program; and

 

     (3)  Appropriate monies to the Department of Kinesiology and Rehabilitation Science of the University of Hawaii and Department of Education for the purpose of funding the program.

 

     Your Committee on Conference finds that the intent of Act 197, Session Laws of Hawaii 2012, was to provide a statewide concussion educational program to ensure that public and private high school students, school personnel, and parents are provided with consistent and up-to-date information on the management of symptoms and injuries related to a concussion.  This measure will expand Act 197 to include youth athletics and refine the requirements of the concussion educational program.

 

     Your Committee on Conference has amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Changing the definition of "school athletics" to apply to grades nine to twelve;

 

     (2)  Specifying the types of health care providers who can provide clearance to a concussed student prior to the student's return to academics and athletics;

 

     (3)  Requiring that returning students be monitored by a State of Hawaii registered athletic trainer;

 

     (4)  Clarifying the cognitive testing and neuropsychological test requirements of the concussion management educational program;

 

     (5)  Removing the exemption for out of state athletics trainers who have served their respective teams for less than one month from the concussion management educational program;

 

     (6)  Inserting an appropriation amount of $450,000 for the concussion educational program;

 

     (7)  Removing the appropriation to the Department of Education and placing the concussion and awareness program for youth athletics under the Department of Kinesiology and Rehabilitation Science of the University of Hawaii;

 

     (8)  Changing the effective date to July 1, 2016; and

 

     (9)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the managers of your Committee on Conference that is attached to this report, your Committee on Conference is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2557, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Final Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2557, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, C.D. 1.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the managers:

 

ON THE PART OF THE HOUSE

 

ON THE PART OF THE SENATE

 

____________________________

DELLA AU BELATTI, Co-Chair

 

____________________________

MICHELLE N. KIDANI, Chair

____________________________

ROY M. TAKUMI, Co-Chair

 

____________________________

ROSALYN H. BAKER, Co-Chair

____________________________

SCOTT Y. NISHIMOTO, Co-Chair

 

____________________________

JILL N. TOKUDA, Co-Chair