The State of Illinois recently passed House Bill 200, which will, if it gains Governor Pat Quinn's signature, aim to address the growing problem of concussions in youth athletics. Tuesday morning, the Chicago Bears released a statement praising the legislature for acting on it.
"The Bears commend the General Assembly for recognizing the steps that must be taken to further protect Illinois children and young student-athletes from preventable concussions and other brain injuries," Bears president and CEO Ted Phillips said in the statement.
Specifically, the bill, if passed, "would make it mandatory for all school boards in the state to work with the Illinois High School Association to develop clear guidelines to educate coaches, student athletes and their parents." These measures include, but aren't limited to, forcing all school boards to enact and enforce policy regarding concussions; including information about concussions and policies about them in any form or waiver pertaining to youth athletics which requires a parent or guardian's signature; and making educational materials about concussions available to all school districts.