TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Florida lawmakers gave final approval Thursday to a bill designed to protect high-school athletes from suffering heat strokes.
The bill, which now goes to Gov. Ron DeSantis for consideration, is named the “Zachary Martin Act,” after a Southwest Florida high-school student who died during a football practice.
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House members unanimously approved the bill (HB 7011) on Thursday, after it passed the Senate last week.
The bill would require the Florida High School Athletic Association to take a series of steps to curb heat strokes. For example, the association would have to establish requirements for “cooling zones,” which could include such things as cold-water immersion tubs.
“Heat stroke is 100 percent avoidable if rapid cooling begins within the first 10 minutes,” House sponsor Ralph Massullo, a Lecanto Republican who is a dermatologist, said during a January discussion on the issue.