Youth Coach Training Bill Also Makes Coaches Immune From Lawsuits

The text as introduced · 783 words

89R12161 PRL-D

By: Plesa
H.B. No. 3811

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to youth injury mitigation and information training for

coaches and youth athletics personnel.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. Subtitle B, Title 13, Occupations Code, is

amended by adding Chapter 2053 to read as follows:

CHAPTER 2053. COACHES AND ATHLETICS PERSONNEL

Sec. 2053.001. SHORT TITLE. This chapter may be cited as

the Coach Safely Act.

Sec. 2053.002. DEFINITIONS. In this chapter:

(1) "Association" means an organization that

administers or conducts high-risk youth athletics activities on

property owned, leased, managed, or maintained by this state, an

agent of this state, or a state agency or political subdivision of

this state.

(2) "Athletics personnel" means athletic directors

and other persons actively involved in organizing, training, or

coaching sports activities for youth who are younger than 15 years

of age.

(3) "Coach" means:

(A) any individual, whether paid, unpaid,

volunteer, or interim, who an association approves to organize,

train, or supervise a youth athlete or team of youth athletes; or

(B) if an individual the association approves is

unavailable, an individual not approved by the association who is

selected as a coach by a youth athlete or a team of youth athletes.

(4) "High-risk youth athletics activities" means any

organized sport with a significant possibility for a youth athlete

participating in the sport to sustain a serious physical injury,

including:

(A) baseball;

(B) basketball;

(C) cheerleading;

(D) field hockey;

(E) football;

(F) ice hockey;

(G) lacrosse;

(H) soccer; and

(I) volleyball.

(5) "Youth athlete" means an individual younger than

15 years of age who participates in an organized sport.

Sec. 2053.003. APPLICABILITY AND CONSTRUCTION OF CHAPTER.

(a) This chapter does not apply to:

(1) athletic trainers;

(2) physicians licensed to practice medicine in this

state;

(3) nurses licensed to practice nursing in this state;

(4) first responders; and

(5) any other health care professionals with acute

traumatic life support training.

(b) This chapter does not:

(1) eliminate the involvement of athletic trainers at

youth athletic events; or

(2) impose any additional liability on political

subdivisions of this state.

Sec. 2053.004. TRAINING POLICY; YOUTH INJURY MITIGATION AND

INFORMATION COURSE. (a) A youth athletics association that

sponsors or conducts sports training or high-risk youth athletics

activities for youth athletes shall adopt a policy to require all

the association's coaches and athletics personnel to complete, if

available at no cost, a youth injury mitigation and information

course on actions and measures to decrease the likelihood of a youth

athlete sustaining a serious injury while engaged or participating

in a high-risk youth athletics activity. The course may be online

or in person and must be approved by the Department of State Health

Services.

(b) A youth injury mitigation and information course must

provide information on:

(1) emergency preparedness, planning, and rehearsal

for traumatic injuries;

(2) concussions and head trauma;

(3) heat and extreme weather-related injury

familiarization;

(4) physical conditioning and training equipment

usage; and

(5) heart defects and abnormalities leading to sudden

cardiac arrest and death.

(c) A person required to complete a youth injury mitigation

and information course under this section must:

(1) complete the course not later than the 30th day

following the date the person becomes actively engaged in or serves

as a coach or member of the athletics personnel for an association;

and

(2) annually complete the course not later than the

anniversary of the date the person became actively engaged in

serving as a coach or member of the athletics personnel for an

association.

Sec. 2053.005. RECORDS OF COURSE COMPLETION. An

association conducting a high-risk youth athletics activity or

event that requires a coach or a member of the athletics personnel

to complete a youth injury mitigation and information course under

Section 2053.004 shall maintain a record of the individual's course

completion during the period the person serves as a coach or member

of the athletics personnel for that association.

Sec. 2053.006. IMMUNITY FROM LIABILITY. A coach or member

of the athletics personnel of an association is immune from civil

liability for any injury sustained by a youth athlete as a result of

participation in a high-risk youth athletics activity on

establishing that the coach or member:

(1) completed the injury mitigation and information

course required under Section 2053.004; and

(2) reasonably conformed their conduct to the safety

techniques and methods identified in the course.

SECTION 2. As soon as practicable after the effective date

of this Act, the executive commissioner of the Health and Human

Services Commission shall adopt the rules necessary to implement

Chapter 2053, Occupations Code, as added by this Act.

SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.