HB335: HB335 Quality Basic Education Act; address mental health risks for student athletes

25 LC 49 2115 House Bill 335 By: Representatives Crawford of the 89th, Cox of the 28th, McClain of the 109th, Willis of the 55th, and Douglas of the 78th A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT To amend Article 6 of Chapter 2 of Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, the1 "Quality Basic Education Act," so as to address mental health risks for student athletes; to2 provide for guidelines and other relevant materials to inform and educate public school and3 participating private school student athletes, their parents or guardians, school personnel, and4 coaches about mental health risks for student athletes and raising awareness of mental health5 resources available to student athletes; to provide for definitions; to require annual review6 by coaches; to provide for lim ited liability; to e ncourage addi tional implementation; to7 provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.8 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:9 SECTION 1.10 Article 6 of Chapter 2 of Title 20 of the Official Code of Geor gia Annotated, the "Quality11 Basic Education Act," is amended in Part 15, relating to miscellaneous provisions, by adding12 a new Code section to read as follows:13 "20-2-324.8.14 (a) As used in this Code section, the term:15 H. B. 335 - 1 - 25 LC 49 2115 (1) 'Athletic association' means any association of schools or any other similar16 organization which acts as an organizing, sanctioning, scheduling, or rule-making body17 for interscholastic athletic activities in which public schools and participating private18 schools in this state participate.19 (2) 'Healthcare provider' means a licensed physician, another licensed individual under20 the supervision of a licensed physician, licensed psychiatrist, licensed psychologist,21 licensed clinical social worker, licensed professional counselor, clinical nurse specialist22 in psychiatric/mental health, or other licensed mental or behav ioral health clinician or23 specialist who has received training on screening school age children for mental health24 risks.25 (3) 'Interscholastic athletic activity' means interscholastic athletics and practices and26 scrimmages related to interscholastic athletics.27 (4) 'Participating private school' means a private school in this state whose students or28 teams compete against students or teams from a public school or local school system in29 this state.30 (5) 'Student athlete' means a public school or participating p rivate school student in31 grades six through 12 participating in or desiring to participa te in an interscholastic32 athletic activity.33 (b) Each athletic association shall, in consultation with the Department of Behavioral34 Health and Developmental Disabilities, develop and post on its public website guidelines35 and other relevant materials, including, but not limited to, approved videos or links thereto,36 to inform and educate student athletes, their parents or guardi ans, school personnel, and37 coaches about mental health risks for student athletes and rais ing awareness of mental38 health resources available to student athletes. In developing such guidelines and materials,39 an athletic association may utilize educational videos available at no cost to the state for40 the purpose of educating school personnel and coaches.41 H. B. 335 - 2 - 25 LC 49 2115 (c) Each public school and participating private school which includes one or more grades42 from grades six through 12 shall provide information to each st udent athlete's parent or43 guardian at least once each school year regarding mental health risks for student athletes44 and to raise awareness of mental health resources available to student athletes.45 (d)(1) Once each school year, each coach of an interscholastic athletic act ivity shall46 review the guidelines and other relevant materials, including, but not limited to, videos,47 approved by each athletic association of which the coach's school is a member pursuant48 to subsection (b) of this Code section.49 (2) A coach shall not be eligible to coach an interscholastic athletic activity until he or50 she completes the requirements contained in this subsection.51 (e) Nothing in this Code section shall be construed to create any liability for, or create a52 cause of action against, a local board of education or other go verning body of a public53 school or participating private school, or an athletic association, or the officers, employees,54 or volunteers of any such entities for any act or omission rela ted to the removal or55 nonremoval of a student athlete participating in an interschola stic athletic activity in56 conjunction with an actual or perceived risk to the mental health of such student athlete or57 another student athlete; provided, however, that this subsection shall not include healthcare58 providers unless they are acting in a volunteer capacity.59 (f) The sponsors of youth athletic activities, as defined in subsection (a) of Code Section60 20-2-324.1, are encouraged to implement the provisions of this Code section."61 SECTION 2.62 All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.63 H. 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