The governing board of any educational institution, except a school district or community college district and except the State Department of Education special schools as defined in Sections 59000, 59100, and 59200, shall provide for each member of an athletic team insurance protection for medical and hospital expenses resulting from accidental bodily injuries in an amount of at least five thousand dollars ($5,000) for all services for each member of an athletic team, through group, blanket, or individual policies of accident insurance from authorized insurers, or through a benefit and relief association described in paragraph (1) of subdivision (c) of § 10493 of the Insurance Code. The coverage shall be for the injury to members of athletic teams arising while the members are engaged in or are preparing for an athletic event promoted under the sponsorship or arrangements of the educational institution or a student body organization thereof or while the members are being transported by or under the sponsorship or arrangements of the educational institution or a student body organization thereof to or from school or other place of instruction and the place of the athletic event. However, the Trustees of the California State University and the Regents of the University of California may authorize and require the student body organizations designated pursuant to this section, to be responsible for such medical and hospital expenses in any amount the trustees or the regents may specify, up to two hundred fifty dollars ($250), in which event the insurance protection for the health and accident expenses may include a deductible clause in the same amount.

The governing board of each school district or community college district and the State Department of Education special schools as defined in Sections 59000, 59100, and 59200 shall provide for each member of an athletic team insurance protection for medical and hospital expenses resulting from accidental bodily injuries in one of the following amounts:

(a) A group or individual medical plan with accidental benefits of at least two hundred dollars ($200) for each occurrence and major medical coverage of at least ten thousand dollars ($10,000), with no more than one hundred dollars ($100) deductible and no less than 80 percent payable for each occurrence.

(b) Group or individual medical plans which are certified by the Insurance Commissioner to be equivalent to the required coverage of at least one thousand five hundred dollars ($1,500).

(c) At least one thousand five hundred dollars ($1,500) for all medical and hospital expenses.

Insurance protection in any of the above amounts shall be provided through group, blanket, or individual policies of accident insurance from authorized insurers or through a benefit and relief association described in paragraph (1) of subdivision (c) of § 10493 of the Insurance Code. The coverage shall be for the injury to members of athletic teams arising while the members are engaged in or are preparing for an athletic event promoted under the sponsorship or arrangements of the educational institution or a student body organization thereof or while the members are being transported by or under the sponsorship or arrangements of the school districts or community college districts or a student body organization thereof to or from school or other place of instruction and the place of the athletic event. Minimum medical benefits under any insurance required by this subdivision shall be equivalent to the three dollars and fifty cents ($3.50) conversion factor as applied to the unit values contained in the minimum fee schedule adopted by the Division of Industrial Accidents of the Department of Industrial Relations, effective October 1, 1966.

The Trustees of the California State University and the Board of Regents of the University of California shall designate any student body organizations the trustees and the regents deem appropriate to bear the entire cost of the insurance under this article, in such proportions as they deem equitable, and shall make appropriate deductions from any student body organization funds held by the institutions, or otherwise take such measures, as will assure the payment thereof.

The governing boards of the various school districts or community college districts and the State Department of Education special schools shall require that each member of an athletic team have insurance protection as prescribed by this section, with the costs of the insurance protection to be paid either out of the funds of the district or the funds of the student body, or by any other persons on behalf of, the individual team members or students covered by the insurance. In the event that the governing board of a school district or community college district should determine that a member of an athletic team or the parents, guardian, or other person having charge or control of a member of an athletic team are financially unable to pay the costs of insurance protection, then the governing board shall require the costs of the protection to be paid either out of funds of the district or funds of the student body.

The insurance required by this article shall be issued by an admitted insurer, or through a benefit and relief association described in paragraph (1) of subdivision (c) of § 10493 of the Insurance Code.

The insurance otherwise required by this section shall not be required for any individual team member or student who has insurance or a reasonable equivalent of health benefits coverage provided for him or her in any other way or manner, including, but not limited to, purchase by himself or herself, or by his or her parent or guardian.

(Amended by Stats. 1983, Ch. 143, Sec. 17.)