School Sports Safety Study Act

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 and catastrophic injuries related to high school and collegiate sports and formulate recommendations to prevent such deaths and catastrophic injuries, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the School Sports Safety Study Act 2. Findings Congress finds as follows: (1) According to the National Center for Catastrophic Sports Injury Research, 2,958 high school and collegiate players from all sports combined have suffered direct traumatic injuries from 1982 to 2021. (2) Over the past several years, the negative health effects of repeated trauma have become clearer. (3) Protecting the Nation’s children and young adults is one of the most important responsibilities of parents and elected leaders. 3. Studying deaths related to high school and collegiate sports 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 (1) to more precisely identify the causes of deaths and catastrophic injuries related to high school and collegiate sports; and (2) to develop recommendations to prevent such deaths and catastrophic injuries in the future. (b) Soliciting input In carrying out subsection (a), the Secretary shall seek input from nongovernmental entities, including organizations representing coaches, athletic trainers, parents, and health care professionals. (c) Dissemination of recommendations The Secretary shall disseminate the final recommendations developed under subsection (a)(2) to high schools and institutions of higher education across the United States. (d) Report Not later than 18 months 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). (e) Topics of study The study under subsection (a) shall include— (1) a comprehensive review of research conducted on deaths and catastrophic injuries in high school and collegiate sports; (2) an evaluation of— (A) the causes of such deaths and catastrophic injuries; and (B) the effectiveness of providing, and training on the use of, automated external defibrillators and cardiopulmonary resuscitation; and (3) the formulation of recommendations on actions that can be taken by schools, coaches, trainers, and governmental entities to prevent deaths and catastrophic injuries related to high school and collegiate sports, 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.

Summary: School Sports Safety Study ActThis bill requires the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to study and recommend ways to prevent deaths and catastrophic injuries in high school and collegiate sports.