Idaho governor signs youth athlete concussion bill

BOISE (AP) - Gov. Butch Otter has signed legislation aimed at protecting Idaho's youth athletes from devastating concussions.

The bill was among more than 100 measures Otter signed into law Tuesday.

The concussion measure requires schools to develop rules to protect youth athletes from punishing hits to the head that pose devastating long-term impacts. The rules will include when students must be pulled from sporting events following a possible concussion, under the new law.

Declo Sen. Denton Darrington sponsored the measure, saying the growth of athletes and the damage concussions cause make the risk too large to ignore.

Matt Kaiserman, a former Boise State running back whose career was ended by a concussion, also promoted the measure during the 2012 session as a lobbyist for the National Football League.