CHICAGO January 13.2011
To the President and Members of the City Council:
Your Joint Committee on Finance and Committee on Education and Child Development having had under consideration
A substitute ordinance creating Chapter 7-22 of the Municipal Code of Chicago regarding concussion injuries in children and adolescents participating in sports and recreational activities in the City of Chicago.
Having had the same under advisement, begs leave to report and recommend that your
Honorable Body pass the proposed
Ordinance Transmitted Herewith This recommendation was concurred in by_
of members of the committee with_dissenting vote(s)7
Respectfully submitted
(signedl/b Q^^A^
Chairman
SUBSTITUTE ORDINANCE
WHEREAS, concussions are one of the most commonly reported injuries in children and adolescents participating in sports and recreational activities; and
WHEREAS, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that as many as three million nine hundred thousand sports-related and recreation-related concussions occur in the United States each year; and
WHEREAS, the risk of catastrophic injuries or death are significant when a concussion or head injury is not properly evaluated and managed; and
WHEREAS, continuing to play with a concussion or symptoms of head injury leaves a young athlete especially vulnerable to greater injury and even death; and
WHEREAS, research indicates that young, developing brains take longer to heal, requiring that treatment must be tailored to specific ages; and
WHEREAS, cognitive exertion, such as going to school, can delay recovery just as physical exertion can; NOW, THEREFORE,
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF CHICAGO:
SECTION 1. Title 7 of the Municipal Code of Chicago is hereby amended by adding a new Chapter 7-22, as follows:
7-22-010. The provisions of this chapter shall be applicable to any elementary, middle, or secondary school in the City of Chicago, public or private, which sponsors athletic activities for its students, and, by order of the City Council, is exempt from City water or sewer charges.
7-22-020. A student athlete who exhibits signs, symptoms, or behaviors consistent with a concussion, including loss of consciousness, headache, dizziness, confusion, problems with immediate recall, disorientation as to time place or person, fatigue, blurred vision, or balance problems, shall be immediately removed from the contest. If no health care professionals are immediately available and an injured student athlete has any of the described signs, symptoms, or behaviors, he or she shall be promptly taken to a facility
for appropriate medical care. For purposes of this Chapter, "health care professionals" shall be defined as "physicians licensed to practice medicine in all its branches in Illinois and certified athletic trainers".
7-22-030. A student athlete who has been removed from play may not return to play until the athlete is evaluated by a health care professional trained in the evaluation and management of concussion and receives written medical authorization to return to play from such health care professional.
7-22-040. Upon proof of a violation of Section 7-22-020 or 7-22-030 by any school exempted from City water or sewer charges, through its responsible agents, including coaches, athletic directors, or any other similar personnel, such exemption shall be revoked, and such school shall become liable for all such charges from and after the date of injury, or the return of the student to play without written authorization by a health care professional.
Section 2. This ordinance shall be in full force and effect on and after its passageuand due publication. /]
Alderman, 14in Ward
Alderman, 17th Ward