Two Arapahoe County state senators are spearheading an effort to help curb serious head injuries among student athletes in Colorado.

Sen. Linda Newell, D-Littleton, and Sen. Nancy Spence, R-Centennial, are co-sponsoring legislation that would require coaches in schools, sports clubs and recreation centers to take annual training in how to identify concussions.

The bill would also require coaches to remove athletes from competition immediately when they exhibit concussion-like symptoms. They could not return without written permission from a medical professional.

Coaches and organizations could not be sued for concussions suffered by athletes. The 30-to-45-minute online training course would be offered for free.

According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, more than a dozen states have similar laws.

Newell calls the bill a common-sense response to the growing problem of sports head injuries, especially among professional and amateur football players.

“It’s a great example of collaboration among all the stakeholders doing the right thing for kids,” she said. “We do want the kids out there playing. We want them to have all the extracurricular activities. We just want to make sure that they’re safe.”

The Jake Snakenberg Youth Concussion Act, or Senate Bill 40, coincidentally shares the same number with the jersey worn by the freshman football player for whom the act is named.

“We found out about that the day it came out,” Newell said. “Oh my word, it really took my breath away when I saw that.”

Snakenberg was a 14-year-old student at Aurora’s Grandview High School in 2004 when he died as the result of a football-related concussion.

Sports head injuries have increasingly become an issue, especially after Minnesota Vikings quarterback Brett Favre suffered a concussion and failed medical tests to return to the field.

The Colorado bill will get its first hearing in committee on Feb. 10. It has sponsors from both parties in the state House of Representatives.