NY State Senate Bill 2025-S7266

Senate Bill S7266

2025-2026 Legislative Session

download bill text pdf

Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Health Committee

Introduced
- In Committee Assembly
- In Committee Senate
- On Floor Calendar Assembly
- On Floor Calendar Senate
- Passed Assembly
- Passed Senate
Delivered to Governor
Signed By Governor

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Actions

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	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Apr 07, 2025	referred to health

2025-S7266 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A5383
Current Committee:: Senate Health
Law Section:: Public Health Law
Laws Affected:: Amd §2595, Pub Health L

2025-S7266 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Requires soccer programs, lacrosse programs, ice hockey programs, and field hockey programs to provide informational packets about concussions to parents and guardians of children participating in soccer programs; defines soccer programs, lacrosse programs, ice hockey programs, and field hockey programs.

2025-S7266 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S7266

SPONSOR: KRUEGER
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the public health law, in relation to providing informa-
tion on concussions to parents and guardians of children participating
in soccer programs, lacrosse programs, ice hockey programs, and field
hockey programs

 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:

To provide children with information about concussions in youth soccer

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section one: Provides a short title

Section two: Amends the Public Health Law to provide information on
concussions to children participating in programs

Section three: Specifies the effective date.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

As concussion safety research has made strides in the last several
years, New York should take basic steps to keep up. The dangers of
concussions, especially for children, are well documented.  Concussions
early in life frequently lead to a myriad of health problems down the
line, most notably severe memory loss and depression. Those who suffer
from multiple concussions often develop a disease known as Chronic Trau-
matic Encephalitis (CTE), a degenerative brain disease that causes
erratic and aggressive behavior, difficulties with eating, walking,
speaking, and basic motor function. Even concussions that don't lead to
CTE are incredibly dangerous. As the American Association of Neurologi-
cal Surgeons points out, there is "there is no such thing as a minor
concussion."

CTE and other concussion related brain injuries are commonly found in
football players, a fact that the legislature acknowledged when they
passed a law requiring the disclosure of concussion safety information
in youth football programs. While football is the worst offender in
terms of youth concussions, recent research has shown soccer to be quite
dangerous for brain health. A recent McGill University study, for exam-
ple, found that 60% of college soccer players displayed concussion symp-
toms within only the one season studied. Providing youth soccer, hockey,
and lacrosse players with information necessary to protect their health
is vital to allow young people and parents to make informed safety deci-
sions.

 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

None.

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS:

None

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately

2025-S7266 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   7266
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                               April 7, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen. KRUEGER -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Health
 
 AN ACT to amend the public health law, in relation to providing informa-
   tion on concussions to parents and guardians of children participating
   in soccer programs, lacrosse programs, ice hockey programs, and  field
   hockey programs
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. This act shall be known and may be cited as the "concussion
 safety act".
   § 2. Section 2595 of the public health law, as added by chapter 243 of
 the laws of 2019, is amended to read as follows:
   § 2595. Football PROGRAMS, SOCCER  programs,  LACROSSE  PROGRAMS,  ICE
 HOCKEY  PROGRAMS, AND FIELD HOCKEY PROGRAMS; information on concussions.
 1. All tackle football programs, SOCCER PROGRAMS, LACROSSE PROGRAMS, ICE
 HOCKEY PROGRAMS, AND FIELD HOCKEY PROGRAMS in the state shall provide an
 informational packet about concussions and sub-concussive blows, and the
 injuries that might occur as a result of receiving such  blows,  to  the
 parents  or guardians of all children participating in such tackle foot-
 ball program, SOCCER PROGRAM, LACROSSE PROGRAM, ICE HOCKEY  PROGRAM,  OR
 FIELD  HOCKEY PROGRAM. The informational packet shall be provided by the
 department and shall be available to be downloaded free of  charge  from
 the department's website.
   2. For the purposes of this section[, "tackle]:
   (A)  "TACKLE  football  program"  shall  include any practice, game or
 other activity which involves engaging in tackle football and  which  is
 organized by a school, adult, or public or private league or other enti-
 ty  whose  purpose  is to allow children to participate in contact foot-
 ball.
   (B) "SOCCER PROGRAM" SHALL INCLUDE ANY PRACTICE, GAME OR OTHER  ACTIV-
 ITY  WHICH  INVOLVES  ENGAGING  IN  SOCCER  AND  WHICH IS ORGANIZED BY A
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD07959-03-5

 S. 7266                             2
 
 SCHOOL, ADULT, OR PUBLIC OR PRIVATE LEAGUE OR OTHER ENTITY WHOSE PURPOSE
 IS TO ALLOW CHILDREN TO PARTICIPATE IN SOCCER.
   (C)  "LACROSSE  PROGRAM"  SHALL  INCLUDE  ANY  PRACTICE, GAME OR OTHER
 ACTIVITY WHICH INVOLVES ENGAGING IN LACROSSE AND WHICH IS ORGANIZED BY A
 SCHOOL, ADULT, OR PUBLIC OR PRIVATE LEAGUE OR OTHER ENTITY WHOSE PURPOSE
 IS TO ALLOW  CHILDREN TO PARTICIPATE IN LACROSSE.
   (D) "ICE HOCKEY PROGRAM" SHALL INCLUDE ANY  PRACTICE,  GAME  OR  OTHER
 ACTIVITY WHICH INVOLVES ENGAGING IN ICE HOCKEY AND WHICH IS ORGANIZED BY
 A  SCHOOL,  ADULT,  OR  PUBLIC  OR  PRIVATE LEAGUE OR OTHER ENTITY WHOSE
 PURPOSE IS TO ALLOW CHILDREN TO PARTICIPATE IN ICE HOCKEY.
   (E) "FIELD HOCKEY PROGRAM" SHALL INCLUDE ANY PRACTICE, GAME  OR  OTHER
 ACTIVITY  WHICH INVOLVES ENGAGING IN FIELD HOCKEY AND WHICH IS ORGANIZED
 BY A SCHOOL, ADULT, OR PUBLIC OR PRIVATE LEAGUE OR  OTHER  ENTITY  WHOSE
 PURPOSE IS TO ALLOW CHILDREN TO PARTICIPATE IN FIELD HOCKEY.
   § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.

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