Senate Passes Concussion Treatment Bill

ALBANY – A bill has passed the State Senate that promises to improve the treatment and management of traumatic brain injuries.

If the bill passes the State Assembly, new legislation will expand the current State Concussion Management Advisory Committee to 12 experts in brain trauma who will provide the latest scientific and academic insights in treating traumatic brain injuries. This ensures that State policies remain as up-to-date as possible.

“A traumatic brain injury, especially for a child, can have serious debilitating consequences,” said Senator Catherine Young, who adamantly sponsored the bill, “and sometimes lead to death. This tragedy happens far too often in our state.”

Prior to this legislation, the landmark Concussion Management and Awareness Act (CMAA) was passed in 2011, putting New York State at the forefront of the national conversation on concussion treatment. CMAA standards on concussion management established a robust set of laws, emphasizing proper treatment and return-to-play protocols for children and adolescents who may have suffered a traumatic brain injury.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, concussions and traumatic brain injuries affect 1.7 million people every year, with children and adolescents among the most at-risk. While most make a full recovery, some types of head injury can seriously debilitate for life or cause death. Those most likely to sustain a concussion are children four years old or younger, and teenagers 15 to 19, as well as seniors 65 and older.

The bill has now been delivered to the State Assembly, where it must also pass before the legislation is applied.