DONNA – A new requirement by the state will soon affect local high school athletic programs.   

The state will soon make it mandatory for certain Texas high schools to report suspected concussion events.  

The state’s ruling body for high school athletics, the University Interscholastic League, says they want the research to better protect all high school athletes from brain injuries in the future.

KRGV’s Trason Bragg spoke with the head football coach at Donna High School, Ramiro Leal, who has been voluntarily reporting suspected concussions.

"We try to do our best to try to help with all the tracking of it because, of course, the more data they receive, the better they can get an understanding of all the concussions that are taking place,” says Leal.  

The UIL Deputy Executive Director, Jamie Harrison says it is now mandatory because not enough schools are reporting this information.

Harrison explains the new law, which will take effect next year, will require 6A schools to report these incidents into a context system.

Watch the video above for the full story.