Sponsors
The bill strengthens concussion safety and expands academic supports for students by imposing standardized education, definitions, and medical-clearance rules, but it creates measurable costs and administrative burdens—particularly for states, local districts, and families in rural or underserved areas—and risks financial penalties for noncompliance.
Students will be more likely to avoid premature return-to-play and receive earlier recognition of concussions because schools must provide standardized concussion education, use a consistent medical definition, remove students from play the day of a suspected concussion, and require professional clearance before return.
Parents, teachers, and school staff will get clearer reporting/treatment forms and consistent rules about which activities and staff are covered, improving post-injury communication and consistent on-the-ground policy implementation.
Students with prolonged concussion symptoms will gain better access to academic supports because schools must adopt multidisciplinary concussion-management teams, progressive academic accommodations, and evaluate students for IDEA or Section 504 services when appropriate.
States that fail to comply risk losing 5–10% of federal ESEA funds, which could substantially reduce resources available for schools and statewide education programs.
Local school districts will face new administrative, training, compliance, and potential liability costs to develop concussion plans, train personnel, and align policies with statutory definitions.
Requiring written medical clearance and narrowly defining who counts as an eligible 'health care professional' could delay students' return to athletics and impose time and out-of-pocket costs on families—especially in rural and underserved areas where qualified providers are scarce.
Based on analysis of 4 sections of legislative text.
Requires states receiving federal K–12 funds to ensure every school district adopts evidence‑based concussion safety and management plans, training, public info, and return‑to‑learn supports.
Introduced September 18, 2025 by Richard Joseph Durbin · Last progress September 18, 2025
Requires states that receive federal K–12 education funds and that do not already meet the bill’s standards to adopt laws or regulations within five full fiscal years so that every local school district has a standard concussion safety and management plan. Plans must include education for students/parents/staff, targeted training for coaches and school personnel, standardized forms and fact sheets, visible posting of concussion info at schools and online, and support for students returning to academics and athletics after concussion.