BILL NO. 16
(as introduced)
3rd Session, 63rd General Assembly
Nova Scotia
70 Elizabeth II, 2021
Private Member's Bill
Concussion Strategy Act
Barbara Adams
Cole Harbour–Eastern Passage
First Reading: March 11, 2021
Second Reading:
Third Reading:
An Act to Establish
a Provincial Concussion Strategy
1 This Act may be cited as the Concussion Strategy Act.
(a) "Department" means the Department of Health and Wellness;
(b) "Minister" means the Minister of Health and Wellness;
(c) "provincial concussion strategy" means a provincial strategy to address the challenges of the recognition and timely diagnosis, treatment and management of concussions.
3 (1) Subject to Section 8, within six months of the coming into force of this Act, the Minister shall convene a conference with stakeholders from the medical community, patients' groups, non-profit organizations and sports organizations who work, study or have interests in concussion research or advocacy, including
(a) amateur sports associations;
(c) Brain Injury Association of Nova Scotia;
(d) Canadian Sport Centre Atlantic;
(f) disability advocacy groups;
(j) physical education teachers;
(l) the Department of Communities, Culture and Heritage;
(m) the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development;
(n) the Department of Labour and Advanced Education;
(o) the Department of Health and Wellness; and
(p) the Department of Seniors,
for the purpose of developing a comprehensive provincial concussion strategy.
(2) The provincial concussion strategy must include
(a) the establishment of voluntary guidelines regarding
- (i) the prevention and identification of concussions, and
(ii) how health professionals can remain informed of best practices for the assessment of and treatment protocols for concussions for their specific health profession;
(c) the promotion of research into best practices respecting the prevention, identification, treatment and management of concussions, particularly research that directly measures and reports on the impact of concussion interventions;
(d) the creation of a standardized education serious for physicians, nurse practitioners and allied health professionals containing training programs on concussions specific to their area of expertise; and
(e) a recognition that amateur sports associations should follow provincial and national concussion guidelines for their sport.
4 Within one year of the conclusion of the conference referred to in subsection 3(1), the Minister shall prepare a report that sets out the provincial concussion strategy and publish the report on the Department website.
5 The Minister shall, within 10 days of the publication of the report referred to in Section 4, table the report in the Assembly if the Assembly is then sitting or, where it is not then sitting, file the report with the Clerk of the Assembly.
(a) complete a review of the effectiveness of the provincial concussion strategy no later than five years after the day on which the report referred to in Section 4 is published on the Department website; and
(b) within 10 days of the completion of the review, table a report on its findings in the Assembly if the Assembly is then sitting or, where it is not then sitting, file the report with the Clerk of the Assembly.
7 (1) The Governor in Council may make regulations respecting any matter or thing the Governor considers necessary or advisable to effectively carry out the intent and purpose of this Act.
(2) The exercise by the Governor in Council of the authority contained in subsection (1) is a regulation within the meaning of the Regulations Act.
8 The money required for the purpose of this Act must be paid out of money appropriated for that purpose by the Legislature.
This page and its contents published by the Office of the Legislative Counsel, Nova Scotia House of Assembly, and © 2021 Crown in right of Nova Scotia. Created March 11, 2021. Send comments to legc.office@novascotia.ca.
