An Act To Protect Student Athletes
Maine Legislature, Session 123, LD 2043
Committee: Education and Cultural Affairs
Sponsors: SIMPSON, HOBBINS, BERUBE, BRAUTIGAM, CUMMINGS, FAIRCLOTH, MAZUREK, MILLS, DIAMOND, MITCHELL

Legislative Document 
No. 2043 
RP.1427 
House of Representatives, December-2I, 2007 
An Act To Protect Student Athletes 
Approved for introduction by a majority of the Legislative Council pursuant to Joint Rule 
203. 
Received by the Oerk of the House on December 19, 2007. Referred to the Committee on 
Education and Cultural Affairs pursuant to 10int Rule 308.2 and ordered printed pursuant to 
loint Rule 40 1. 
Presented by Representative SIMPSON of Auburn. 
Cosponsored by Senator HOBBINS of York and 
/!j~/J?~ 
MILLICENT M. MacFARLAND 
Oerk 
Representatives: BERUBE of Lisbon, BRAUTIGAM of Falmouth, Speaker CUMMINGS of 
Portland, FAIRCLOTH of Bangor, MAZUREK of Rockland, MILLS of Farmington, Senators: 
DIAMOND of Cumberland, MITCHELL of Kennebec. 
Printed on recycled """,r 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1. 20-A MRSA c. 227 is enacted to read: 
CHAPTER 227 
SAFETY AND CERTAIN EXTRACURRICULAR ATHLETIC 
ACTIVITIES 
§6921. Safety training required 
The department shall by rule develop and adopt an extracurricular athletic activ;ty 
safety training program for certain school employees, volunteers and students. For the 
purposes of this chapter, "school" means any public school, school administrative district 
or private school approved pursuant to section 2902. Rules adopted pursuant to. this 
section are routine technical rules as defined in Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2-A. 
1. Available materials. 
In developing the safety training program under this 
section, the department may use materials available from any health-relat, j organization 
that provides emergency assistance or education or any appropriate entity that specializes 
in emergency medicine and treatment. 
2. Required completion. The safety training program developed under this section 
must be satisfactorily completed by: 
A. A coach or athletic director employed by a £Chool for an extracurricular athletic 
activity; 
B. Except as provided by subsection 6, a phy£icimI 00 is employed by a school or 
who volunteers to assist with Bl'I extracurricular athletic activity; and 
C. Any other school employee or volunteer who directs .an extracurricular athletic 
activity. 
3. Program requirements for school personnel. The safety training program for 
persons listed in subsection 2 must include: 
A. Training in: 
(1) Emergency action planning; 
(2) Cardiopulmonary resuscitation, unless the person being trained has already 
been certified by another organization; 
(3) Communicating effectively with E-9-1-1 emergency service operators and 
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other emergency personnel; Jlfld 
(4) Recognizing symptoms of potentially catastrophic injuries, including head 
and neck injuries. concussions. injuries related to second impact syndrome. 
asthma attacks, heatstroke. cardiac arrest. and injuries requiring use of a 
defibrillator; and 
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B. At least once each school year, a drill that incorporates the safety training under 
this section and includes simulations of injuries described in this subsection. 
4. Student requirements. A school shall provide to students participating in an 
extracurricular athletic activity in that school training related to: 
A. Recognizing the symptoms of injuries described in subsection 3, paragraph A, 
subparagraph 4; and 
B. 
The risks of using dietary supplements designed to enhance or marketed as 
enhancing athletic performance. 
S. PrOt!ram and training administered. The safety training program under this 
section may be conducted by a school or by an organization described in subsection 1. 
6. Physician qualifications. A physician who is employed by a school or who 
volunteers to assist with an extracurricular athletic activity is not required to complete the 
safety training program under this section if the physician has attended a continuing 
medical education course within the past 3 years that specifically 'addressed emergency 
medicine as it relates to sports. 
§6922. Certain safety precautions required 
1. Responsibilities of stafT. A coach or athletic director of a school extracurricular 
.athletic activity shall ensure during practice or competition that: 
A. Each participating student is adequately hydrated; 
B. Any asthma medication prescribed for a participating student is readily available 
to the student; 
C. Emergency Janes providingacces.s to the pmctice or competition area are open 
and clear; and 
D. Heatstroke prevention materials are readily available. 
2. Injured students. If a student participating in an extracurricular athletic activity, 
including a practice or competition, becomes unconscious during the activity, the student 
may not: 
A. 
Return to the practice or competition during which the student became 
unconscious; or 
B. Participate in any extracurricular athletic activity until the student receives written 
authorization for the participation from a physician. 
§6923. Compliance enf()TCement 
A school shall make available to the public proof of compliance for each person 
enrolled in, employed by or volunteering for the school who is required to receive the 
safety training described by section 6921. 
The school shall maintain complete and 
accurate records of the school's campI iance with section 6921. 
§6924. Contact information 
The department shall maintain a telephone number and an e-mail address to allow a 
person to report a violation of this chapter. Each school that offers an extracurricular 
athletic activity shall prominently display at the administrative offices of the school the 
telephone number and e-mail address maintained under this section. 
§6925. Notice required 
A school that offers an extracurricular athletic activity shall provide to each student 
participating in an extracurricular athletic activity and to the student's parent or guardian a 
copy of the text of sections 6922 to 6924. 
A document required to be provided under 
this section may be provided in an electronic format unless otherwise requested by a 
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student. parent or guardian. 
§6926. ImmWlity fro .. liability 
This chapter does not waive any liability or immunity of a school or its officers or 
employees. This chapter does not create a liability for or a cause of action against a 
school or its officers or employees. 
§6921. Limit.6oa OR liability 
A person who volunteers to assist with an extracurricular athletic activity at a school 
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is not liable for civil damages arising out of an act or omission relating to the 
requirements under section 6922 unless the act or omission is willfully or wantonly 
negligent. 
§6928. Applicability 
This chapter applies beginning with the 2009-2010 school year. 
SUMMARY 
This bill is modeled after Texas legislation. It requires the development and adoption 
of an extracurricular activity safety training course by the Department of Education to be 
used in all' public and certain private schools in Maine. 
It requires certain school 
personnel to take the safety training course, which includes training in the recognition of 
potentially catastrophic injuries, emergency response and cardiopulmonary resuscitation, 
and requires the school to provide to students participating in extracurricular athletic 
activities training related to recognizing the symptoms of certain injuries and the risks of 
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using dietary supplements to enhance athletic performance.