Senate substitute would require schools to adopt concussion response policies for non-athlete students

Senate Committee on Education considered a committee substitute to Senate Bill 2398, which would require school districts to adopt mandatory concussion-response policies for students injured in school-related activities who are not student athletes.

Senator Campbell, the bill sponsor, told the committee the substitute creates a new subchapter requiring districts to remove any student suspected of sustaining a concussion from school-related activities, immediately notify parents or guardians, and require medical clearance consistent with existing law before return to activities. She also said the Texas Education Agency (TEA) would produce a standardized, nonmedical accommodation form to enable voluntary, immediate, temporary accommodations so students do not fall behind academically or socially.

Support and procedure: The committee received one public witness registration (Jeff Miller) and closed public testimony before leaving the substitute pending subject to the call of the chair. No formal vote was recorded on the floor; the committee clerk recorded that the substitute will be left pending.

Why it matters: Sponsor testimony emphasized concussions’ “invisible” effects on students’ social, emotional and behavioral health and said a standardized accommodation form and mandatory local policy would unify practice across districts. The substitute explicitly excludes student athletes, who remain governed by UIL concussion protocols.

Discussion vs. decision: The transcript shows explanation and public testimony but no final action beyond leaving the substitute pending. The committee did not adopt the substitute at this hearing.

Provenance: Remarks by Senator Campbell introducing SB 2398 and explaining the substitute, and the subsequent close of public testimony and disposition were recorded in the committee transcript.