Sponsors
The bill improves concussion safety, consistent definitions, and school-based supports for students at the cost of new state and local administrative burdens, possible federal funding penalties for noncompliance, and potential access or financial burdens for families and rural communities.
All K–12 students, school staff, and families will have improved recognition and earlier response to concussions because schools must provide concussion education, training, and public information.
Students recovering from concussion will receive coordinated academic supports (cognitive rest, modified assignments, gradual reintroduction) to reduce academic decline and better access special-education/related-services protections.
Students who sustain head injuries in school-sponsored activities will be less likely to return to play prematurely because schools must obtain written medical clearance and use clinicians recognized by the State with pediatric TBI experience for concussion care.
States that fail to adopt the required minimum standards risk reductions in ESEA federal funding (initial 5%, then 10%), which could reduce resources available to students and schools statewide.
School districts and local education agencies will face new administrative and staffing costs (developing plans, training personnel, recordkeeping, running concussion teams), increasing local education spending pressures.
Requiring written medical clearance before returning to athletics may delay some students' return to sports and impose out-of-pocket costs or scheduling burdens on families to obtain clinician releases.
Based on analysis of 4 sections of legislative text.
Introduced September 18, 2025 by Richard Joseph Durbin · Last progress September 18, 2025
Requires every state that receives federal K–12 education funds to adopt statewide minimum concussion safety and management rules for public schools within five full fiscal years. Rules must cover education and training, removal from play, medical clearance and return-to-play protocols, academic supports and recordkeeping; states that do not comply face reductions in ESEA funding after the deadline.