New Jersey Department of Education


N.J.A.C. 6A:16-2.2 et. seq.
Required Student Medical Examinations Code Clarification

In its public meeting on November 6, 2002, the State Board of Education revisited the intent of N.J.A.C. 6A:16-2 et. Seq. Additionally, other questions have been raised by educators, physicians and parents that require clarification. Based on that discussion and a review of the current code language, I am providing the following clarification of the code.

In accordance with, 6A:16-2.2, each candidate for a school athletic team must have a medical examination within 365 days prior to the first practice session. The medical examination must be conducted in the "medical home" of the student. The school district must provide this examination if the student does not have a medical home. The "medical home" is defined as a health care provider and that provider's practice site chosen by the student's parent/guardian for the provision of health care. Since the school physician is a "health care provider", the parent/guardian may choose either the school physician or their own private physician to provide the medical examination.

The code further requires that if the medical examination was completed more than 60 days prior to the first practice session, the parents must complete and sign a health history update of medical problems experienced since the last medical examination. The code does not require a medical examination prior to the commencement of each sport. However, districts are required to adopt policies and procedures regarding the administration of medical examinations. If physicals are being required prior to a student engaging in each sport, this may be a district's policy.

For each student medical examination conducted, a full medical report must be sent to the school. This report must include a determination concerning the student's participation on an athletic squad or team from the examining physician, nurse practitioner/clinical nurse, or physician assistant. In turn, the district must provide written notification to the parents, signed by the district school physician, stating approval of the student's participation in athletics based on the medical report for the student to participate. The notification indicates whether or not. Student may participate, based solely on the medical report, and the district school physician's signature on the notification indicates that the medical report complies with the requirements of N.J.A.C. 6A:16- 2.2 (h)5.

Finally, N.J.A.C. 6A:16-2.2(d)2 requires that a student shall be examined pursuant to a comprehensive child study team evaluation as required by N.J.A.C. 6A:14-3.4 and N.J.A.C. 6A:16- 2.2(d)3 requires that a student shall be examined when applying for working papers pursuant to N.J.S.A. 34:2-21.8. This is to clarify that N.J.A.C. 6A:16 et. Seq. is not meant to be contradictory of the N.J.A.C. 6A:16-2.2(d)3 or N.J.S.A. 34:2- 21.8. The purpose of N.J.A.C. 6A:16-2.2(d)2 is to indicate that these are required examinations and cite the regulatory code/statute.