49475.5.
(a) The Neurocognitive Testing Pilot Grant Program is hereby established to provide grant funding to Title I schools for the purposes of neurocognitive testing.(b) The Superintendent shall establish an application process for school districts to apply on behalf of Title I schools interested in participating in the pilot program. Grants shall be apportioned under the pilot program to a total of three school districts, which shall comprise one school district in each of the following regions of the state: southern, central, and northern. Each school district shall commit to participating in the pilot program for four school years in order to track pupils tested in grade 9 through completion of high school. Grant funding shall be used for the following:
(1) (A) Baseline and postinjury neurocognitive testing of pupils attending a Title I school serving any of grades 9 to 12, inclusive, participating in interscholastic athletics in any of the following sports:
(i) Baseball.
(ii) Basketball.
(iii) Cheerleading.
(iv) Field hockey.
(v) Football.
(vi) Ice hockey.
(vii) Lacrosse.
(viii) Rugby.
(ix) Soccer.
(x) Softball.
(xi) Volleyball.
(xii) Wrestling.
(B) The baseline and postinjury neurocognitive testing conducted pursuant to this subdivision shall take place at the beginning of an athletic season before any competitions have taken place and after any head injury, and baseline testing shall be repeated at intervals not exceeding 24 months for as long as the athlete is enrolled at the school, provided that the athlete is still participating in one or more of the 12 sports listed in subparagraph (A). The baseline and postinjury neurocognitive testing conducted pursuant to this subdivision shall be administered by individuals who have been trained to administer these tests. These individuals may include, but are not necessarily limited to, employees of a participating school district.
(2) Postinjury neurocognitive testing of an athlete who is suspected of sustaining a concussion or head injury in an interscholastic athletic activity. Postinjury neurocognitive tests shall be conducted within 72 hours of the occurrence of the injury.
(3) Training of personnel or to consult with experts on the interpretation of postinjury test results. The parent or guardian of each athlete participating in any of the sports listed in paragraph (1) shall also be notified, in writing, that the results of baseline and postinjury neurocognitive testing conducted on his or her child are available to the child’s parent or guardian upon request. These neurocognitive testing results may also be shared with the athlete’s physician upon the request of the athlete’s parent or guardian.
(4) Reporting to the county office of education data that includes an overview of the baseline neurocognitive testing conducted for each of the sports listed in paragraph (1), and an overview of normal, abnormal, and followup postinjury neurocognitive tests. The data shall also include the number of athletes who discontinue participation in the sport following a concussion and postinjury testing.
(c) For purposes of this section, “neurocognitive testing” means a comprehensive evaluation of a person’s cognitive status by specific neurologic domains, including, but not necessarily limited to, memory, attention, problem solving, language, visuospatial, processing speed, motor, and emotion.
(d) (1) The department shall, based on the data collected by the county offices of education located in the area of participating school districts, prepare a report including, but not necessarily limited to, all of the following information:
(A) The number of athletes who received the baseline tests.
(B) The number of athletes who received the postinjury tests.
(C) The number of athletes who had taken the tests and discontinued participation in any of the sports set forth in subdivision (b) due to concussion injuries.
(2) The report prepared pursuant to this subdivision shall be submitted to the appropriate policy committees of the Legislature on or before December 31, 2021, and shall comply with Section 9795 of the Government Code.
(e) This section is contingent upon the appropriation of funds for its purposes in the annual Budget Act or another statute.
(f) This section shall remain in effect only until January 1, 2022, and as of that date is repealed, unless a later enacted statute, that is enacted before January 1, 2022, deletes or extends that date.