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FIFTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC 
) 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
) 
First Regular Session 
) 
SENATE 
S.No. 2730 
Introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
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(0([,,, of I!)r.)l,·"'t"'~ 
'11 
MAR -3 P 2 :43 
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The involvement in sports can have tremendous benefits for the physical, social, 
emotional, and cognitive development of students. However, one risk of engaging in sports is 
sports-related injuries, such as concussions, Hence, all students have the right to know the risks 
of concussions because concussions, though a mild traumatic brain injury, present such a 
significant risk to not only the physical well-being of a developing student, but also the academic 
performance of the student. 
Mild traumatic brain injuries, including conCUSSIOns, reportedly represent 80 to 90 
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percent of all traumatic brain injuries, and children and adolescents are supposedly more 
vulnerable to brain injury than adults because their brain~ are still developing. 
Surveys in the United States suggest that the prevalence of sport-related concussions is 
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much higher than reported and the occurrence of concussions is higher at the high school level 
than at the collegiate level. A recent study also estimated that more than 40 percent of high 
school athletes return to participate in school athletics before they have fully recovered from 
, 
concussions, which increases the susceptibility of the student athlete to greater injury or death. 
The timely recognition and response to concussions aids recovery and helps prevent 
successive injury, chronic impairment, or death. Furt~er, students should gradually return to 
physical activity and academic activities only as the symptoms of a concussion permit because 
research suggests that overexertion from physical activity and academic activities exacerbates 
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symptoms and protracts recovery time for student athletes. 
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The institution of best practices offers a reasonable means for protecting student athletes 
from the risks and consequences of concussions.! Hence, this bill seeks to promote minimum 
requirements for the prevention and treatment of concussions caused by participation in school 
sports. 
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1 http://www.govtrackus/congress/billtext.xpd?bill=hl 12-469. 
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FIFTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC 
) 
" 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
) 
First Regular Session 
) 
SENATE 
S,No. 2730 
Introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago 
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(~(r", ,r 1I1,'m.lar~ 
'11 
MAR -3 P2 :43 
1 
AN ACT 
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TO PROMOTE MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS FOR niE PREVENTION AND TREATMENT 
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OF CONCUSSIONS CAUSED BY PARTICIPATION IN SCHOOL SPORTS 
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled: 
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SECTION 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the "Protecting Student Athletes 
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from Concussions Act." 
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SECTION 2 Definition of Terms. - For purposes of this Act: 
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(a) 
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"Concussion" means a type of traumatic brain injury that: 
(A) 
(B) 
is caused by a blow, jolt,. or motion to the head or body that causes the 
brain to move rapidly in the skull; , 
disrupts normal brain functioning and alters the mental state of the 
individual, causing the individual to experience-
(i) 
(ii) 
any period of observed or self-reported-
(I) 
transient 
confusion, 
disorientation, 
or 
impaired 
consciousness; 
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(II) 
dysfunction of memory around the time of injury; and 
(III) 
loss of consciousness lasting less than 30 minutes; 
anyone of four types of symptoms of a headache, including: 
(I) 
(II) 
physical symptoms, such as headache, fatigue, or dizziness; 
cognitive symptoms, such as memory disturbance or 
slowed thinking; 
. 
(III) 
emotional symptoms, such as irritability or sadness; and 
(IV) 
difficulty sleeping; and 
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(C) can occur-
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(i) 
with or without the loss of consciousness; and 
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(ii) 
during participation in any. organized sport or recreational activity. 
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(b) 
"Health care professional" means a physician, nurse, certified athletic trainer, 
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physical therapist, neuropsychologist or other qualified individual who: 
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(A) 
is a registered, licensed, certified, or recognized by the government to 
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provide medical treatment; 
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(B) 
is experienced in the diagnosis and management of traumatic brain injury 
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among a pediatric population; and, 
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(C) 
may be a volunteer. 
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(c) 
"School-sponsored athletic activity" meaxis: 
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(A) 
any physical education class or prdgram of a school; 
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(B) 
any athletic activity authorized d).lring the school day on school grounds 
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that is not an instructional activity;. and 
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(C) 
any extracurricular sports team, club, or league organized by a school on 
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or off school grounds. 
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SECTION 3. Minimum Requirements. - Beginning with fiscal year 2013, in order to be 
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eligible to receive funds for such year or a subsequent fis,cal year, each public educational agency 
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shall issue regulations establishing the following minimum requirements: 
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(a) 
Local Educational Agency Concussion Safety and Management Plan. - Each 
, 
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public educational agency, in consultation with memoers of the community in which such 
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agency is located, shall develop and implement a standard plan for concussion safety and 
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management that includes: 
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(A) 
the education of students, parents, and school personnel about 
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concussions, such as: 
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(i) 
the training and certifi<;ation of school personnel, including 
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coaches, athletic trainers, and school nurses, on concussion safety 
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and management; and 
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(ii) 
using and maintaining standardized release forms, treatmer:t plans, 
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observation, monitoring and reporting forms, recordkeeping forms, 
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and post-injury fact sheets; 
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(B) 
supports for students recovering from a concussion, such as: 
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(i) 
gniding such student in resuming participation in athletic activity 
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and academic activities with the help of a multi-disciplinary team, 
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which may include: 
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(I) 
a health care prof~ssional, the parents of such student, a 
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school nurse, or other relevant schooL persOlmel; and 
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(II) 
an individual who is assigned by a pnblic school to, oversee 
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and manage the recovery of such student; 
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(ii) 
providing appropriate academic accommodations; and 
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(iii) 
referring students whose symptoms of concussion reemerge or 
, 
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persist upon the reintroduction of cognitive and physical demands 
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for evaluation of the eligibility; and 
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(C) 
best practices designed to ensure, with respect to concussions, the 
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uniformity of safety standards, treatment, and management, such as: 
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(i) 
disseminating infOlmatioJ1. on concussion management safety and 
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management to the public; ,and 
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(ii) 
applying uniform standard~ for concussion safety and management 
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to all students emolled in public schools. 
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(b) Posting of Information on Concussions. - EitCh public elementary school and each 
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secondary school shall post on school grounds, in a manner that is visible to students and school 
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persOlmel, and make publicly available on the school website, information on concussions that: 
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(A) 
shall include: 
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(i) 
the risks posed by sustaining a concussion; 
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(ii) 
the actions a student should take in response to sustaining a 
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concussion, including the notification of school personnel; and 
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(iii) 
the signs and symptoms of a concussion; and 
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(B) 
may include: 
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(i) 
the definition of a concussion; 
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(ii) 
the means available to the student to reduce the incidence or 
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recurrence of a concu$sion; and 
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(iii) 
the effects of a concussion on academic learning and performance. 
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(3) Response to Concussion. - If any school personnel, including coaches and athletic 
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trainers, of a public school suspects that a student has sustained a concussion during a school-
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sponsored athletic activity: 
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(A) 
the student shall be: 
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(i) 
immediately removed from participation in such activity; and 
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(ii) 
prohibited from 
returnin'~ to participate in school-sponsored 
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athletic activities: 
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(I) 
on the day such student sustained a concussion; and 
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(II) 
until such student -submits a written release from a health 
, 
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care professional '$tating that the student is capable of 
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resuming 
participation 
in 
school-sponsored 
athletic 
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activities; and 
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(B) 
such persOlmel shall report to the parent or guardian of such student-
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(i) 
the date, time, and extent of the injury suffered by such student; 
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and 
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(ii) 
any actions taken to treat such student. 
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(d) Return to Athletics and Academics. - Before a student who has sustained a concussion 
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in a school-sponsored athletic activity resumes participation in school-sponsored athletic 
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activities or academic activities, the school shall receive a written release from a health care 
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professional, that: 
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(A) 
states that the student IS capable of resuming participation 111 such 
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activities; and 
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(B) 
may require the student to follow a plan designed to aid the student in 
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recovering and resuming participarion in such activities in a manner that: 
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(i) 
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(ii) 
'is coordinated, as appropriate, with periods of cognitive and 
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physical rest while symptOJ;ns of a concussion persist; and 
reintroduces cognitive and 'physical demands on such student on a 
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progressive basis only as ~uch increases in exertion do not cause 
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the reemergence or worsening of symptoms of a concussion, 
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SECTION 4, Report to Secretary of Education. -
Not later than 6 months after 
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promulgating regulations pursuant to section 3 in ord~r to be eligible to receive funds, each 
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public educational agency shall submit to the Secretary of Education a report that contains a 
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description of the regulations promulgated pursuant to section 3. 
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SECTION 5, Separability Clause, - If any provision of this Act shall be declared 
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unconstitutional, any other provision not affected thereby shall remain in full force and effecL 
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SECTION 6. Repealing Clause, - All laws, decrees, orders, rules and regulations, or 
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parts thereof inconsistent with this Act are hereby repealed or amended accordingly. 
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SECTION 7. Effectivity, - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication 
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in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation., 
Approved, 
/fldp 
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