Brown signs law to protect school athletes

Gov. Jerry Brown signed a measure Monday expanding protections for student athletes who are believed to have sustained a concussion in school sports and activities.

Since 2012, public school districts have been required to immediately remove a student athlete from a game or activity if the student may have suffered a concussion or head injury. The student can return to the activity only after being cleared by a licensed health professional.

Now, private and charter schools will be subject to the same rules, under the measure, AB 588, by Assemblyman Steve Fox (D-Palmdale).

“Our student athletes have not been equally protected from the dangers of concussion injury and reinjury,” Fox said in a statement. “Now all pupils will be safer in the sports activities they enjoy.”

Brown also approved a number of measures related to horse racing. One bill, by Assemblywoman Toni Atkins (D-San Diego), could put the Del Mar racetrack in the running to host the prestigious Breeders’ Cup.

The measure, AB 1074, enables the California Horse Racing Board to divvy up the 2014 and 2015 racing dates previously allocated to Inglewood’s Hollywood Park, which is set to close in December.

Del Mar, which has never hosted a Breeders’ Cup, could be poised to snag the 2015 contest. Its allotment for that year includes dates in the late-fall period when the two-day event is traditionally held.

The wooing has already begun. Josh Rubenstein, chief operating officer of the Del Mar Thoroughbred Racing Club, said representatives of the track had their first official meeting with the Breeders’ Cup board in June.

This year’s cup will be held Nov. 1-2 at Santa Anita. The Arcadia track also will host in 2014.

Acting on a related bill, Brown signed SB 819, which allows parimutuel wagering on non-thoroughbred races on the day that the Breeders’ Cup races are run at the host venue in California.

The bill by the Senate Committee on Governmental Organization also allows accounts set aside for promotion and support of the Breeders’ Cup to be used for payment of purses in Breeders’ Cup World Championship races.

Californians will also be able to automatically donate to a Keep Arts in Schools Fund by checking a new box on their personal income tax form under a bill signed by the governor.

Sen. Carol Liu (D-La Canada Flintridge) carried the measure, SB 571, to allow taxpayers to voluntarily contribute to a new fund renamed to improve its marketability after a previous check-off box for the Arts Council Fund failed in 2011 to receive enough support to remain on the tax forms.

Currently, taxpayers can donate to 18 funds, but a check-off box must generate at least $250,000 in contributions in a year or it is dropped from future tax forms.

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melanie.mason@latimes.com

patrick.mcgreevy@latimes.com