Requires DOE to develop registry of high school student-athletes who sustain concussions or other head injuries.

A4227

ASSEMBLY, No. 4227

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

�

INTRODUCED FEBRUARY 19, 2026

Sponsored by:

Assemblywoman� CAROL A. MURPHY

District 7 (Burlington)

SYNOPSIS

���� Requires DOE to develop registry of high school
student-athletes who sustain concussions or other head injuries.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

���� As introduced.

��

An Act

concerning the health of student-athletes and
supplementing chapter 40 of Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes.

����
Be It
Enacted
by the Senate and General Assembly of
the State of New Jersey:

���� 1.��� a.� The Department of
Education shall establish and maintain a central registry of all high school
student-athletes who sustain a concussion or other head injury while
participating in a Statewide interscholastic sports program, intramural sports
program, or cheerleading program.� The purpose of the registry shall be to
collect data to determine the rates, patterns, and trends of head injuries in
order to develop evidence-based injury prevention protocols.� In establishing
the registry, the department shall ensure that any student identifying
information received pursuant to this section is kept confidential.

���� b.��� A person who coaches a
school district or nonpublic school interscholastic sport, intramural sport, or
cheerleading program shall immediately notify the athletic director or other
person designated by the district or nonpublic school when a student sustains a
concussion or other head injury as a result of participating in the sport or
cheerleading program.

���� c.���� Each week, based on the
information provided by a coach pursuant to subsection b. of this section, the
athletic director or other person designated by the district or nonpublic
school shall enter into the department�s centralized registry information
concerning a student-athlete�s concussion or other head injury.� The
information shall include, but need not be limited to:

���� (1)�� the type of head injury;

���� (2)�� the sport or program in
which the student-athlete was participating when the concussion or head injury
was sustained;

���� (3)�� the specific incident
that occurred that resulted in the concussion or other head injury, including
the specific phase of the game or cheerleading routine in which the
student-athlete was engaged when the concussion or other head injury was
sustained;

���� (4)�� the age of the
student-athlete;

���� (5)�� the average number of
days missed from practice or play before the student-athlete was cleared to
return to participate in games and practices; and

���� (6)�� any information received
by the school district or nonpublic school concerning medical treatment
received by the student-athlete following the injury.

���� 2.��� This act shall take
effect immediately.

STATEMENT

���� This bill requires the
Department of Education to develop a centralized registry for high school
student-athletes who sustain concussions or other head injuries.� The purpose
of the registry is to collect data to determine the rates, patterns, and trends
of head injuries in order to develop evidence-based injury prevention
protocols.�

���� Under the bill, each person
who coaches a school district or nonpublic school interscholastic sport,
intramural sport, or cheerleading program must immediately notify the athletic
director or other person designated by the district or nonpublic school when a
student sustains a concussion or other head injury as a result of participating
in the sport or cheerleading program.

���� Each week, based on the
information provided by the coach, the athletic director or other person
designated by the district or nonpublic school will enter into the department�s
centralized registry information concerning the student-athlete�s concussion or
other head injury, including but not limited to:

�

the type of head injury;

�

the sport or program in which the student-athlete was
participating when the concussion or other head injury was sustained;

�

the specific incident that occurred that resulted in the
concussion or other head injury, including the specific phase of the game or
cheerleading routine in which the student-athlete was engaged when the concussion
or other head injury was sustained; and

�

the average number of days missed from practice or play before
the student-athlete was cleared to return to participate in games and
practices.

���� The bill stipulates that, in
establishing the registry, the department must ensure that any student
identifying information is kept confidential.