The committee is in the process of drafting a bill to implement the tax for the upcoming legislative session in January. The Committee Chairman Chuck Gatschenberger, R-Lake St. Louis, said he has a meeting with the speaker of the house Thursday and has requested a meeting with the governor.
"Once you get one concussion, the odds of getting another one are very high if you're gonna go back in the play," said Rep. Chuck Gatschenberger, R-Lake St. Louis, sponsor of the bill. "I had a constituent whose nephew was playing football, got sacked and went back into the game. He is now suffering from learning disabilities that result from multiple concussions," said Rep. Zachary Wyatt, R-Green Castle, who previously sponsored a similar bill.
The three bills, sponsored by Rep. Zachary Wyatt, R-Green Castle, Rep. Jay Barnes, R-Jefferson City, and Rep. Chuck Gatschenberger, R-Lake St. Louis, would make it a requirement for coaches, teachers and athletes to be educated about the symptoms and hazards of child brain injuries.