H.R. 3789 — Introduced in House

I 115th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 3789 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES September 14, 2017Mr. Richmond (for himself, Ms. DelBene, Mr. Garamendi, Mr. Cárdenas, Mr. Abraham, Mr. Yoder, Ms. Shea-Porter, Mr. Takano, Mrs. Watson Coleman, Mr. Cohen, Mr. Rodney Davis of Illinois, Mr. Serrano, and Mr. Hastings) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Education and the Workforce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned A BILL To direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and in consultation with the Secretary of Education and the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports, and Nutrition, to conduct a study on the causes of deaths related to high school football and formulate recommendations to prevent such deaths. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the High School Football Safety Study Act. 2. Findings The Congress finds as follows: (1) As of August 14, 2017, two high school football players—Kamari McGowan and Joshua Mileto—have passed away during the 2017 calendar year during football practice from causes directly or indirectly related to football. (2) According to the National Center for Catastrophic Sports Injury Research, 1,222 high school and middle school football players have passed away between 1931 and 2016 from causes directly or indirectly related to football. (3) Over the past several years, the negative health effects of repeated head trauma have become clearer. (4) Protecting the Nation’s children is one of the most important responsibilities of parents and Members of Congress. 3. Studying high school football deaths and developing recommendations to prevent future tragedies (a) In general The Secretary of Health and Human Services (in this section referred to as the Secretary), acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and in consultation with the Secretary of Education and the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports, and Nutrition, shall conduct a study— (1) to more precisely identify the causes of deaths related to high school football; and (2) to develop recommendations to prevent such deaths in the future. (b) Soliciting input In carrying out subsection (a), the Secretary shall seek input from nongovernmental entities, including organizations representing football coaches, athletic trainers, parents, and health care professionals. (c) Report Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to the Congress and publish on the public Website of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality a report on the results of the study under subsection (a). (d) Contents The report under subsection (a) shall include— (1) a comprehensive review of research conducted on deaths in high school football; (2) an evaluation of causes of deaths related to high school football; and (3) recommendations on actions that can be taken by schools, coaches, trainers, and governmental entities to prevent high school deaths from occurring in the future, including— (A) measures to prevent life-threatening injury from occurring; (B) medical treatment protocols to treat these injuries when they occur; and (C) ways in which technology and data analytics can be used to prevent serious injury and death.