SPORT SAFETY TRAINING - S.B. 179: COMMITTEE SUMMARY
sans-serif">Senate Bill 179 (as introduced 2-12-03)
Sponsor: Senator Bev Hammerstrom
CONTENT
The bill would amend the Revised School Code to require that school athletic coaches hold valid certification in sport safety training. The board of a school district or public school academy would have to require each new person it employed or assigned as an interscholastic athletic coach to meet this requirement, unless that person was assigned to coach an athletic activity with another coach who already held valid sport safety certification.
Coaches would have to complete a sport safety training course offered by the American Red Cross or an equivalent course approved by the State Board of Education. Certification would have to be current during the entire interscholastic season for the athletic activity a person was coaching. At least once every two years, coaches would have to provide documentation to their school board or board of directors demonstrating their continuing certification. If a coach did not provide this documentation, the board could not allow him or her to coach an interscholastic athletic activity.
People already employed or serving as interscholastic athletic coaches on or before the bill’s effective date would be exempt from the certification requirement. In addition, certification would not be required if a coach had a physical limitation that made it impracticable for him or her to complete the course and obtain the certification. The bill also would exempt a person who was employed or serving as a coach of an interscholastic athletic activity for which there was more than one coach and at least one of the other coaches held valid certification in sport safety training.
Under the bill, a person coaches with valid sport safety certification would not be liable in a civil suit for damages resulting from an act or omission occurring in the provision of physical aid to another person, or in the good faith administration of epinephrine for allergic reaction, in the course of his or her employment or service as a coach, except for an act or omission constituting gross negligence or willful and wanton misconduct.
Proposed MCL 380.1523 - Legislative Analyst: Claire Layman
FISCAL IMPACT
The bill would have no fiscal impact on the State. There would be an indeterminate cost for obtaining the required certification. Many or most Red Cross organizations offer this training at a fee of $50 to $75 per person. The fee that is charged by other private, State-approved providers is unknown. This cost would have to be paid by either the school district or the coach.
- Fiscal Analyst: Joe CarrascoS0304\s179sa
This analysis was prepared by nonpartisan Senate staff for use by the Senate in its deliberations and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent.