To: The Georgia State House, The Georgia State Senate, and Governor Brian Kemp

Return To Play Act

Continuing to play with a concussion or symptoms of head injury leaves a youth athlete especially vulnerable to greater injury and even death. Despite having generally recognized return-to-play standards for concussions and head injuries, some affected youth athletes are prematurely returned to play resulting in actual or potential physical injury or death to youth athletes in the State of Georgia; and It is in the best interest of the state to create a uniform education, training, and return-to-play protocol to be followed throughout the state. Currently, The House Committee on Health and Human Services offers the following substitute to HB 673 to providea Georgia Return to Play Act. Governor Deal has publicly stated he will only consider bills that are presently on his agenda leaving our children to fend for themselves.
Let's step up Georgia and tell the Georgia General Assembly and Gov. Deal to put the safety of our children on the agenda.

Why is this important?

Concussions are one of the most commonly reported injuries in children and adolescents who participate in sports and recreational activities. The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that as many as 3.9 million sports-related and recreation-related concussions occur in the United States each year. A concussion is caused by a blow or motion to the head or body that causes the brain to move rapidly inside the skull. The risk for long-term, chronic cognitive, physical, and emotional symptoms associated with the development of post-concussion syndrome and chronic traumatic encephalopathy, as well as the risk for catastrophic injuries or even death, is significant when a concussion or head injury is not properly recognized, evaluated, and managed. Georgia is one of six states that has not adopted a safe return to play statewide guideline.

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