Arkansas has become the 44th state to have a youth-concussion law.
The new Arkansas law authorizes the state department of education to use up to $1 million from its General Improvement Fund on a pilot project on concussion management.
It does not require that injured athletes be removed from play, receive medical clearance before returning to play, or that parents or guardians sign a concussion-information form before their child can participate in interscholastic athletics.
Two other states may be not far behind Arkansas in terms of passing youth-concussion laws. Measures in Georgia and Tennessee were both awaiting governors’ signatures last week.