Section 10-149h - Exertional heat illness awareness education program(a) As used in this section: (1) "Exertional heat illness" means an illness resulting from engaging in physical activity in the heat, including, but not limited to, heat cramps, heat syncope, heat exhaustion and heat stroke;(2) "Heat cramps" means sudden or progressively and noticeably evolving, involuntary, painful contractions of skeletal muscle during or after engaging in physical activity in the heat;(3) "Heat exhaustion" means the inability to effectively engage in physical activity in the heat, secondary to a combination of factors, including, but not limited to, cardiovascular insufficiency, hypotension, energy depletion and central fatigue and is manifested by an elevated core body temperature and associated with a high rate or volume of skin blood flow, heavy sweating and dehydration;(4) "Heat stroke" means a medical emergency characterized by neuropsychiatric impairment and a high core body temperature, typically 105.8° Fahrenheit or above;(5) "Heat syncope" means sudden dizziness, feeling faint and fainting experienced after engaging in physical activity in the heat; and(6) "Intramural or interscholastic athletics" shall include any activity sponsored by a school or local education agency, as defined in section 10-15f, or an organization sanctioned by the local education agency that involves any athletic contest, practice, scrimmage, competition, demonstration, display or club activity.(b) For the school year commencing July 1, 2022, and each school year thereafter, any person who holds or is issued a coaching permit by the State Board of Education and is a coach of intramural or interscholastic athletics shall complete an exertional heat illness awareness education program prior to commencing the coaching assignment for the season of such intramural or interscholastic athletics. Such program shall be developed or approved pursuant to subsection (c) of this section. For the school year commencing July 1, 2022, and each school year thereafter, any person who holds or is issued a coaching permit by the State Board of Education and is a coach of intramural or interscholastic athletics shall annually review the program developed or approved pursuant to subsection (c) of this section, prior to commencing the coaching assignment for the season of such intramural or interscholastic athletics.(c) On or before January 1, 2022, the governing authority for intramural and interscholastic athletics, in consultation with an appropriate organization representing licensed athletic trainers, an organization representing sports medical doctors, an organization that researches best practices in managing heat illness, and an organization representing county medical associations, shall develop or approve an exertional heat illness awareness education program for use by local and regional boards of education. Such program shall be published on the State Board of Education's Internet web site and shall include, but need not be limited to, (1) the recognition of the symptoms of an exertional heat illness, (2) the means of obtaining proper medical treatment for a person suspected of having an exertional heat illness, and (3) the nature and risk of exertional heat illness, including the danger of continuing to engage in athletic activity after sustaining exertional heat illness and the proper method of allowing a student athlete who has sustained exertional heat illness to return to athletic activity.(d) On or before October 1, 2022, and annually thereafter, the governing authority for intramural and interscholastic athletics, in consultation with an appropriate organization representing licensed athletic trainers, an organization representing sports medical doctors, an organization that researches best practices in managing heat illness and an organization representing county medical associations, shall develop or approve annual review materials regarding current and relevant information regarding exertional heat illness for use by local and regional boards of education.(e) On or before January 1, 2022, the governing authority for intramural and interscholastic athletics, in consultation with an appropriate organization representing licensed athletic trainers, an organization representing sports medical doctors, an organization that researches best practices in managing heat illness and an organization representing county medical associations, shall develop a model exertional heat illness awareness plan for use by local and regional boards of education. Each local and regional board of education shall implement such plan by utilizing written materials, online training or videos or in-person training that shall address, at a minimum: (1) The recognition of signs or symptoms of exertional heat illness, (2) the means of obtaining proper medical treatment for a person suspected of an exertional heat illness, (3) the nature and risks of exertional heat illness, including the danger of continuing to engage in athletic activity after experiencing exertional heat illness, (4) the proper procedures for allowing a student athlete who has experienced exertional heat illness to return to athletic activity, and (5) best practices in the prevention and treatment of exertional heat illness.(f) For the school year commencing July 1, 2022, and each school year thereafter, each local and regional board of education shall prohibit a student athlete from participating in any intramural or interscholastic activity unless the student athlete, and a parent or guardian of such student athlete, (1) reads written materials, (2) views online training or videos, or (3) attends in-person training developed or approved pursuant to this section. Acknowledgment of adherence to this standard by the student athlete and the parent or guardian shall be made by the parent's or guardian's signature on an athletic participation informed consent form issued by the applicable local or regional board of education.(g) The State Board of Education may revoke the coaching permit, in accordance with the provisions of subsection (i) of section 10-145b, of any coach found to be in violation of this section.Conn. Gen. Stat. § 10-149h
Added by P.A. 21-0087,S. 1 of the Connecticut Acts of the 2021 Regular Session, eff. 7/1/2021.