What is the Lystedt Law and why is the Brain Injury Association
Involved.
May 14th, 2009 Governor Gregoire signs the "Lystedt Law"
The Brain Injury Association of
Washington has worked with our key partners to have two bills; House
Bill 1824 and Senate Bill 5763 introduced this legislative session.
These two bills require the adoption of policies for the management
of concussion and head injury in youth sports. The House Bill has
been sponsored by Representative Jay Rodne, (5th legislative
district) and the Senate Bill has been sponsored by Senator Curtis
King, (14th legislative district).
The two bills are identical. They
both do the following:
- Requires all school districts to
work with the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association to
develop guidelines and informational forms to educate coaches,
youth athletes, and their parents of the nature and risk of
concussion and head injury
- Requires an informed consent must
be signed by parents and youth athletes acknowledging the risk of
head injury prior to practice or competition
- Requires that a youth athlete who
is suspected of sustaining a concussion or head injury be removed
from play. “When in doubt, sit them out”
- Requires that a youth athlete who
has been removed from play receive written clearance prior to
returning to play from a licensed health care provider.
- Requires private, nonprofit youth
sports associations to be in compliance with the policies adopted
by the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association
- The law will be known as the
Zackery Lystedt Law
Lystedt Law Moves Forward
On the morning of Friday the 13th,
the House Education Committee voted unanimously to move the House
bill, HB 1824, out of committee. The Senate Education Committee is
expected to vote and move the Senate bill, 5763, this or next week.
Both bills must clear their House of origin by March 12th.
On the morning of March 4th the House
of Representatives voted unanimously (94 yes, 0 no) to pass the bill
moving it to the Senate Education Committee.
March 4th was a very special day full
of rare occurrences.
The Lystedt Family was invited to sit
in the wings of the House Floor, not unusual, but not common.
The family was invited into the Republican Caucus to
be recognized and then also invited to the Democratic Caucus for the
same honor. It is very unusual to be invited into both Caucus
sessions.
Zackery and his father were invited on to the House
floor during the voting process where he witnessed the vote of his
bill and was again recognized by the entire House of Representatives
with a standing ovation following the vote.
Thank You
The Brain Injury Association of
Washington would like to thank all of the individuals and
associations who support this legislative effort and have come to
Olympia to show support and testify on behalf of all the youth
athletes and their families. We would like to acknowledge with
special recognition the following key partners:
Richard Adler, president of the Brain
Injury Association, Dr. Stan Herring, Dr. Reedy, Dr, Cain, Mike
Colbrese with the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association,
Mike Obergottsberger and Andrew Goss with the Athletic Trainers,
Doug Andresassen, Washington State Youth Soccer Association, Kevin
Griffin with the Seahawks and Sounders, and Dick Langum with
Canfield and Associates.
Finally we’d like to thank Lisa
Thatcher for her steady and helpful guidance through the entire bill
process. It is hard to imagine where we’d be in this process without
her help.
With the passage of this
bill, youth sports will be safer for all young athletes in our
state. |
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