Thirty-seven states and the District of Columbia [1] have passed strong youth sports concussion safety laws since May 2009, beginning with Washington State's groundbreaking Zackery Lystedt Law [2]:
Maine [39] has passed a strong concussion safety law, which is awaiting Governor Paul LePage.
Two states (Vermont [40], and Wyoming [41]) have enacted weak sports concussion safety laws that do not fully protect youth athletes in that they fail to include one or more of the three principal components of the Zackery Lystedt law [2]:
Youth sports concussion safety legislation has been introduced or is pending in the following nine states, one of which (Rhode Island) already has a strong concussion safety law:
Only three states are not currently considering youth sports concussion safety bills:
Under guidelines issued by the Arkansas Activities Association, the state's governing body for high school sports, student-athletes suspected of having suffered a concussion must be removed from play immediately, cannot return to play within 24 hours after concussion, and only then after obtaining a written release from a medical professional current in concussion management clearing the athlete to begin a mandatory 5-day graduated return to play protocol.
"We felt instead of passing legislation on each and every issue that we would do a comprehensive bill," said Jason Cates, ATC/LAT, President of the Arkansas Athletic Trainers' Association. In an email to MomsTeam, Cates said he was "beyond frustrated, at publication after publication making us look like [Arkansas was] sitting on our backsides doing nothing. We just went at it a different way." In fact, Cates says, he hears from his peers "all the time saying they wished they would have followed [Arkansas'] blue print."
For statistics about concussions in high school sports, click here [48].
For myths about concussions, click here [49].
Sources: Numerous, including National Coalition on Youth Sport Concussion, Safe Kids USA, NFL Health and Safety [50] and the National Athletic Trainers' Association.
Most recently updated May 22, 2012

Links:
[1] http://www.momsteam.com/node/3664
[2] http://www.momsteam.com/node/3134
[3] http://www.momsteam.com/node/3558
[4] http://www.momsteam.com/node/3503
[5] http://www.arkansashouse.org/public/php/pdf_viewer.php?pdf=ftp://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Bills/2011/Public/HB1743.pdf
[6] http://www.momsteam.com/node/3392
[7] http://www.momsteam.com/node/4053
[8] http://www.momsteam.com/node/3368
[9] http://www.momsteam.com/node/3337
[10] http://www.momsteam.com/node/3783
[11] http://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2012/0256/BillText/Filed/HTML
[12] http://legislature.idaho.gov/legislation/2012/H0548.pdf#xml=http://legislature.search.idaho.gov/isysquery/dab96f41-9f39-4e5d-a7f1-37b306037bad/6/hilite/
[13] http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/fulltext.asp?DocName=&SessionId=84&GA=97&DocTypeId=SB&DocNum=150&GAID=11&LegID=54946&SpecSess=&Session=
[14] http://www.momsteam.com/node/3452
[15] http://www.momsteam.com/node/3390
[16] http://www.momsteam.com/node/3502
[17] http://www.lrc.ky.gov/record/12rs/hb281.htm
[18] http://www.momsteam.com/node/3730
[19] http://www.momsteam.com/node/3504
[20] http://www.momsteam.com/node/3338
[21] http://www.momsteam.com/node/3505
[22] http://www.momsteam.com/node/3557
[23] http://www.momsteam.com/node/3506
[24] http://www.momsteam.com/node/3336
[25] http://www.momsteam.com/node/3334
[26] http://www.momsteam.com/node/4054
[27] http://leg.state.nv.us/Session/76th2011/Bills/AB/AB455_EN.pdf
[28] http://www.momsteam.com/node/3508
[29] http://www.momsteam.com/node/3391
[30] http://www.momsteam.com/node/3332
[31] http://www.momsteam.com/node/3331
[32] http://www.momsteam.com/node/4052
[33] http://www.momsteam.com/node/3335
[34] http://www.momsteam.com/node/3357
[35] http://www.momsteam.com/node/3339
[36] http://www.momsteam.com/node/3369
[37] http://www.momsteam.com/node/3333
[38] http://www.momsteam.com/node/4667
[39] http://www.mainelegislature.org/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=HP0084&item=1&snum=125
[40] http://www.momsteam.com/node/3507
[41] http://www.momsteam.com/node/3371
[42] http://fast.wistia.com/embed/iframe/dae8223603?videoWidth=640&videoHeight=360&controlsVisibleOnLoad=true&autoPlay=true&popover=true&plugin[postRoll][version]=v1&plugin[postRoll][text]=For comprehensive youth sports concussion safety information, click here.&plugin[postRoll][link]=http://www.momsteam.com/health-safety/concussion-safety&plugin[postRoll][style][backgroundColor]=#050505&plugin[postRoll][style][color]=#38c0f2&plugin[postRoll][style][fontSize]=36px&plugin[postRoll][style][fontFamily]=Gill Sans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif&plugin[socialbar][version]=v1&plugin[socialbar][buttons]=embed-email-twitter-googlePlus-facebook&plugin[socialbar][tweetText]=Education (td)
[43] http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/03/08/2683628/concussion-bill-headed-to-gov.html
[44] ttp://www.rilin.state.ri.us/BillText11/HouseText11/H5440.pdf
[45] http://www.momsteam.com/node/801
[46] http://www.ajc.com/news/georgia-government/legislature-no-action-on-1385745.html
[47] http://athleticbusiness.com/articles/lexisnexis.aspx?lnarticleid=1623430335&lntopicid=136030023
[48] http://www.momsteam.com/node/118
[49] http://www.momsteam.com/node/145
[50] http://nflhealthandsafety.com/zackery-lystedt-law/states/
[51] http://www.momsteam.com/health-safety/concussion-signs-and-symptoms-physical-cognitive-emotional-sleep-related
[52] http://www.momsteam.com/health-safety/signs-requiring-immediate-hospitalization-after-concussion
[53] http://www.momsteam.com/health-safety/concussion-safety/general/pre-season-concussion-safety-meetings-every-team-should-have
[54] http://www.momsteam.com/health-safety/no-same-day-return-play-after-concussion
[55] http://www.momsteam.com/health-safety/concussion-safety/more-conservative-approach-concussions-in-children-teens-recommended
[56] http://www.momsteam.com/health-safety/athletic-trainer-plays-key-role-in-concussion-recognition-evaluation-on-sports-sideline
[57] http://www.momsteam.com/health-safety/debunking-common-sports-concussion-myths