Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett recently signed the Safety in Youth Sports Act, a bill intended to prevent serious head injuries in student athletes and educate about the risks of concussions.

According to a new release, Corbett held a ceremonial signing of “the Concussion Bill,” at Lower Dauphin High School, Hummelstown, on Nov. 14.

“It’s time to take concussions seriously, before they ruin young lives,” Gov. Corbett said in the news release.

The legislation sets standards for managing concussions and other brain injuries and requires students who may have suffered a head injury to be removed from the activity and not allowed to return to play until they have been medically cleared. The bill also requires coaches to be trained annually and establishes penalties for those who do not comply.

Pennsylvania joins 31 other states in establishing this legislation which takes effect July 1 and requires the state Department of Health and Education to post guidelines and other material online to educate students, parents and coaches about the nature and risk of concussion and traumatic brain injury.