USA FOOTBALL SUPPORTS CONGRESSMEN MARK DESAULNIER AND PETE STAUBER TO PROTECT STUDENT ATHLETES FROM CONCUSSIONS
WASHINGTON – Today, Congressmen Mark DeSaulnier (CA-11) and Pete Stauber (MN-08) announced the introduction of the bipartisan Protecting Student Athletes from Concussions Act (H.R. 5611), a bill to promote awareness of sports-related concussions and create comprehensive, evidence-based concussion response strategies.
“Concussions are an often silent health condition that can have serious, long-term consequences and sadly with still-developing brains, younger athletes are at greater risk from sports-related concussions than college or professional athletes. These injuries can jeopardize students’ future ability to compete in sports, their academic performance, and their mental health. Together with a community of schools and medical professionals, we can make real progress toward protecting our student athletes,” said Congressman DeSaulnier.
“As a former hockey player, I am well aware that concussions are a serious injury that can cause grave repercussions down the road if they are not properly addressed,” said Congressman Stauber. “By raising awareness of the danger of concussions and directing states to establish concussion safety guidelines for schools, we will be better equipped to protect young athletes from the potentially devastating consequences of concussions.”
The American Academy of Pediatrics estimates that as many as 1.9 million sports and recreation-related concussions occur every year among people under age 18 in the United States.
H.R. 5611 would bring all states in line with evidence-based guidelines for the treatment of sports concussions as recommended by the American College of Sports Medicine and the American Academy of Neurology. More specifically, this bill would require states that receive federal education funding to form concussion management teams and develop concussion guidelines as well as ensure that students who have concussions receive the appropriate academic support.
Along with USA Football, this legislation is supported by the American Academy of Neurology (AAN), National Athletic Trainers Association (NATA), National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), National Council of Youth Sports (NCYS), National Disability Rights Network (NDRN), National Football League (NFL), National Hockey League (NHL), National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association (NIAAA), National Parent Teacher Association (PTA), Pop Warner Little Scholars, San Francisco 49ers, USA Cheer and the U.S. Soccer Federation.
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