Amends existing law to provide that certain chiropractic physicians are qualified health professionals for purposes of returning athletes to play after suspected concussions or head injuries.

This legislation adds an Idaho licensed chiropractic physician to the list of qualified health professionals permitted to return a youth athlete to participation in a sport after healing from a diagnosed concussion. It also allows a chiropractic physician to evaluate a youth athlete for a suspected concussion and determine their ability to continue participating in a sporting event. To “return to play”, the chiropractic physician must have successfully completed a board of chiropractic physicians approved concussion management education program. The program must include instruction on comprehensive concussion and other brain injury evaluation, ongoing reassessment of patient, recognition of atypical response to brain injury, implementation of appropriate plan of care, return to activity determination, and referral to appropriate health care provider as indicated. The standards for the qualifying education program mirror the standards put forth by the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education for an athletic trainer master’s degree program. Within Idaho statute, chiropractic physicians are authorized to supervise athletic trainersin carrying out their duties at defined by their scope of practice.