ASSEMBLY EDUCATION COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

ASSEMBLY CONCURRENT RESOLUTION No. 165

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED:  DECEMBER 4, 2025

      The Assembly Education Committee reports favorably Assembly Concurrent Resolution No. 165.

      This resolution urges school districts to establish concussion management teams.

      In 2022 the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that roughly 2.3 million children and adolescents had received a diagnosis of a concussion or brain injury in their lifetime.  Concussions are one of the most commonly reported injuries in children and adolescents who participate in sports and recreational activities. Students would benefit from having access to support services to optimally function in the learning environment upon sustaining a concussion.

      A concussion management team is a group of school-based professionals who work together to manage a student’s care after a concussion.  The team may include school physicians, school nurses, school psychologists, school social workers, athletic trainers, and school administrators.  A concussion management team is in the school building during the day and its members have insight into the needs of students recovering from concussions. Additionally, a concussion management team ensures that a student safely returns to classroom and sports-related activity after a brain injury and typically collaborates with the student’s family and school staff to coordinate care and support throughout the recovery process.

      While school districts are currently required to have a written policy on the prevention and treatment of concussions and other sports-related brain injuries, the benefits of a concussion management team include having a highly trained team of professionals readily available to answer the concerns of both educators and parents and knowing that each student with a concussion has the support they need to succeed in the learning environment.

      There are a number of organizations that provide information on the establishment of concussion management teams, including the Brain Injury Alliance of New Jersey, which seeks to improve the quality of life for anyone impacted by a brain injury by providing support, advocacy, and information. Organizations like the Brain Injury Alliance of New Jersey can be a resource to assist school districts in developing concussion management teams.

      The health and safety of students must remain a priority of the State and its school districts, and the establishment of school concussion management teams would strive to advance the appropriate care of the students with concussions and other brain injuries.