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HB 602NORTH CAROLINASession 2025State Billpassed chamber

Passed

North Carolina requires annual sports injury training for youth athletic coaches using public facilities

Original title: Coach Safely Act.

Last action · May 8, 2025: Ref To Com On Rules and Operations of the Senate (Senate action)Sponsors: Tim Reeder and 8 others

Bill progressHistory & official text ↓

Introduced

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Floor Vote

Passed

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What This Bill Would Do

North Carolina requires all youth athletic s using public property to ensure their coaches and athletic personnel complete an approved annual sports injury education course free of charge starting October 1, 2025. Coaches must finish the training within 30 days of starting and every year thereafter, covering topics such as concussions, heat illness, and emergency planning. Licensed healthcare practitioners who have completed advanced trauma life support are exempt from the training requirement.

Why it matters

Youth athletic organizations operating on public property must absorb training administration costs and maintain compliance records for all coaching staff, while volunteer and paid coaches face mandatory educational timelines to qualify for liability protections during athletic injuries.

Who It Would Affect

Groups the bill's text would affect if enacted, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.

Directly affected

Youth sports associations

Associations must provide free training to staff, verify completion within 30 days of hire, and maintain individual course completion records for as long as staff serve.

Directly affected

Youth sports coaches and athletic personnel

Coaches must complete an approved injury education course within 30 days of starting and annually thereafter, and must follow safety techniques to qualify for liability defenses.

Directly affected

Department of Health and Human Services

The Department must review and approve one or more evidence-based youth sports injury education courses meeting recognized standards.

Directly affected

Youth athletes

Participants aged 18 or younger receive athletic supervision from coaches mandated to complete safety and injury prevention training.

Key Facts

You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who must complete the annual youth sports injury training?

Any person serving as part of the or coaching staff—including paid, unpaid, volunteer, or interim coaches—for an conducting youth athletic activities on property owned, leased, managed, or maintained by the State or its political subdivisions must complete the training.

Are volunteer coaches required to pay for the training course?

No. The is required to offer the training free of charge to each person actively engaged in or serving as part of its or coaching staff.

What medical professionals are exempt from taking the training course?

Licensed athletic trainers, physicians, nurses, advanced emergency medical technicians, emergency medical responders, emergency services-nurse practitioners, and other healthcare practitioners who have completed advanced trauma life support training are exempt.

What topics must be included in the approved training courses?

Courses must cover safety techniques to decrease serious injuries, emergency preparedness and planning, CPR and general first aid, concussions and head trauma, heat and weather-related injuries, physical conditioning and equipment usage, and heart defects leading to sudden cardiac death.

What else do you want to know?

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Where This Stands

Currently passed chamber. The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Law.

Procedural history

16 actions

May 8, 2025Senate
Ref To Com On Rules and Operations of the Senate
May 8, 2025Senate
Passed 1st Reading
May 8, 2025Senate
Special Message Received From House
May 8, 2025House
Special Message Sent To Senate
May 7, 2025House
Passed 3rd Reading
May 7, 2025House
Passed 2nd Reading

Show 10 earlier actions

May 7, 2025House
Added to Calendar
May 7, 2025House
Cal Pursuant Rule 36(b)
May 7, 2025House
Reptd Fav
May 6, 2025House
Re-ref Com On Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House
May 6, 2025House
Reptd Fav Com Sub 2
Apr 29, 2025House
Re-ref Com On State and Local Government
Apr 29, 2025House
Reptd Fav Com Substitute
Apr 1, 2025House
Ref to the Com on Health, if favorable, State and Local Government, if favorable, Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House
Apr 1, 2025House
Passed 1st Reading
Mar 31, 2025HouseIntroduced
Filed

Version history

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