House Bill 602, the "Coach Safely Act," creates a new Article in Chapter 130A requiring certain people who serve as athletics personnel or coaches for associations conducting youth athletic activities on state- or locally owned, leased, managed, or maintained property to complete an annual youth sports injury education course. The training must be completed within 30 days of first serving in the role and then annually thereafter, and associations must provide the training free of charge. Associations must also keep records of course completion for each covered person while they remain in that capacity.
The bill directs the Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Public Health, to approve one or more qualifying courses by October 1, 2025. Approved courses must reflect evidence-based best practices and cover topics including injury prevention, emergency preparedness, CPR and first aid, concussions, heat illness, conditioning and equipment use, and heart defects associated with sudden cardiac death. The bill also creates a liability defense for coaches and athletics personnel who complete the required training and reasonably follow the safety techniques taught in the course, and it exempts certain licensed or credentialed medical professionals who have completed advanced trauma life support training.
HB602 would add new statutory requirements to Chapter 130A governing youth sports safety training and would impose compliance obligations on associations that run youth athletic activities on public property. It affects a broad range of organizations, including cities, counties, businesses, and nonprofits, as well as paid and volunteer coaches, athletic directors, and other personnel involved with youth athletes age 18 and under. It also gives DHHS authority to approve course content and sets a future effective date of August 1, 2026, with the course-approval mandate effective immediately upon enactment.
The available legislative record shows no committee transcript, vote tally, or recorded opposition, but the bill advanced through committee substitutes and was sent to the Senate Rules and Operations Committee, suggesting it received favorable consideration. Based on the bill’s structure, the overall policy approach appears protective and preventive, emphasizing youth athlete safety, coach education, and standardized training. The inclusion of a liability defense for trained coaches also suggests an effort to balance safety regulation with legal protection for compliant volunteers and staff.
The main potential points of contention are the new mandatory training burden on associations and coaches, especially volunteer or part-time staff, and the requirement that training be offered free of charge while still being maintained and tracked by the association. Another possible issue is the scope of the bill, which reaches organizations operating on public property and includes community-based events run by private businesses or nonprofits. The liability-defense provision may also draw scrutiny because it conditions protection from claims on completion of the course and reasonable conformity to the training, which could be debated by advocates for injured athletes or by organizations concerned about litigation standards.