A bill requiring all Kentucky high school coaches to complete a 10-hour sports first-aid and sports-safety training course and pass an exam before the 2009-2010 school year has been signed by Kentucky governor Steve Beshear. The law also requires the presence of at least one coach with training in emergency planning, heat and cold illnesses, head, neck and facial injuries and first aid at every youth sports practice or game.
On February 25, 2009, a similar law (AB533) was introduced into the California state assembly by Assemblywoman Mary Hayashi which would require each high school sports coach in California to complete a coaching education program that includes training in recognizing and managing the signs and symptoms of potentially catastrophic injuries, including but not limited to: head and neck injuries, concussions, second impact syndrome, asthma attacks, heatstroke, and sudden cardiac arrest; emergency action planning; and communicating effectively with 911 emergency services. The bill will receive its first policy hearing in the Assembly's Education Committee on April 1, 2009.
