If you are
involved in a private youth sports program which plays on publicly-owned
fields, diamonds, rinks, or courts, or are in local government, you have
probably been hearing a lot lately about what is being dubbed the "power
of the permit": the authority municipalities and towns around the country
are using to condition use of their athletic facilities by private programs on
compliance with state concussion safety laws from which they would otherwise be
exempt, or, in an increasing number of instances, to fill gaps in their state's
law.
A growing number of municipalities are using the power of the permit to require private sports programs to comply with state-mandated concussion safety laws, or impose additional conditions beyond those required by state law, but, as MomsTEAM Institute Executive Director explains, it isn't an isolated or new phenomenon. It's been a growing trend for years.