The Prince William County School Board voted Wednesday to enact tougher regulations for student-athletes who sustain concussions.

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The recommendations came from the superintendent's staff and an expert from the Children's Medical Center. Added emphasis will be placed on the student's physical and cognitive recovery after sustaining a concussion or blow to the head.

The new policy states: “All students who have been diagnosed with, or appear to have sustained a concussion … shall be given appropriate time to heal prior to returning to physical or cognitive activities and shall be comprehensively supported until they are symptom free.”

It also provides training to administrators to recognize the symptoms. Students with concussions is an issue Prince William County School Board member Gil Trenum has tacked head-on.

“Whether that be a student athlete that gets a concussion at a Prince William County school event, or if it's a student that has a concussion at their home and they get a concussion there and they come back to school we still have to support them through the process,” he said.

Trenum’s son committed suicide last fall after receiving two concussions while playing football. Trenum said there’s no doubt that the injuries played a role in his son’s suicide.

“Anybody that knows my son know that this was completely out of character,” he said. “There were no other indicators or anything else so to tell Austin’s story without telling the concussion, you really can't.”