I 
113TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 3954 
To provide for systemic research, surveillance, treatment, prevention, aware-
ness, development of rules of play, standards, and dissemination of infor-
mation with respect to sports-related and other concussions. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JANUARY 28, 2014 
Mrs. BEATTY (for herself, Mrs. WAGNER, Mr. RANGEL, Mr. CONYERS, Ms. 
KELLY of Illinois, and Ms. WILSON of Florida) introduced the following 
bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and 
in addition to the Committees on Armed Services and 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 juris-
diction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To provide for systemic research, surveillance, treatment, 
prevention, awareness, development of rules of play, 
standards, and dissemination of information with respect 
to sports-related and other concussions. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Concussion Awareness 
and Education Act of 2014’’. 
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SEC. 2. TABLE OF CONTENTS. 
The table of contents of this Act is as follows: 
Sec. 1. Short title. 
Sec. 2. Table of contents. 
Sec. 3. Findings; purposes. 
Sec. 4. Surveillance of sports-related concussions. 
Sec. 5. Research. 
Sec. 6. Biological sample repository. 
Sec. 7. Rules of play. 
Sec. 8. Dissemination of information. 
Sec. 9. Concussion Research Commission. 
SEC. 3. FINDINGS; PURPOSES. 
(a) FINDINGS.—The Congress finds as follows: 
(1) There is currently no comprehensive system 
for acquiring accurate data on the incidence of 
sports- and recreation-related concussions across all 
youth age groups and sports. 
(2) Overall, according to a report entitled 
‘‘Sports-Related Concussions in Youth: Improving 
the Science, Changing the Culture’’, issued by the 
National Academies in 2013, each year in the 
United States, there are approximately 1.6 to 3.8 
million sports- and recreation-related traumatic 
brain injuries, including concussions and other head 
injuries. These figures are based on conservative es-
timates. 
(3) A review of National Collegiate Athletic As-
sociation data for 15 sports showed that the overall 
reported concussion rate doubled from 1.7 to 3.4 
concussions per 1,000 athletic exposures over the 
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past 15 years, covering the 1988–1989 and 2003– 
2004 academic years. 
(4) Between 2001 and 2009, the reported num-
ber of our youth ages 19 and under treated for con-
cussion and other nonfatal, sports- and recreation- 
related traumatic brain injuries increased from 
150,000 to 250,000. 
(5) Over the same time period between 2001 
and 2009, the rate of emergency room visits for con-
cussive injuries increased by 57 percent. 
(6) Yet, according to the National Academies 
there currently is— 
(A) a lack of data to accurately estimate 
the incidence of sports-related concussions 
across a variety of sports and for youth across 
the pediatric age spectrum; and 
(B) no comprehensive system for acquiring 
accurate data on the incidence of sports- and 
recreation-related concussions across all youth 
age groups and sports. 
(7) Currently, there are significant information 
gaps in the proper protocol for diagnosis and treat-
ment of sports-related concussions and more re-
search desperately is needed. 
(b) PURPOSES.—The purposes of this Act are— 
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(1) to increase awareness and knowledge about 
concussions through development of, implementation 
of, and evaluation of the effectiveness of, large-scale 
collaborative efforts and research by entities includ-
ing, but not limited to, national sports associations, 
State high school associations, trainers’ associations, 
appropriate Federal entities, and other stakeholders 
such as parents, coaches, and students; and 
(2) to change the culture (including social 
norms, attitudes, and behaviors) surrounding con-
cussions among elementary school through college- 
aged youth and their parents, coaches, sports offi-
cials, educators, trainers, and health care profes-
sionals, taking into account demographic variations 
across population groups, where appropriate. 
SEC. 4. SURVEILLANCE OF SPORTS-RELATED CONCUS-
SIONS. 
Title III of the Public Health Service Act is amended 
by inserting after section 317T of such Act (42 U.S.C. 
247b–22) the following: 
‘‘SEC. 317U. SURVEILLANCE OF SPORTS-RELATED CONCUS-
SIONS. 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Health and 
Human Services, acting through the Director of the Cen-
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ters for Disease Control and Prevention, and taking into 
account other Federal data collection efforts, shall— 
‘‘(1) establish and oversee a national system to 
accurately determine the incidence of sports-related 
concussions; and 
‘‘(2) begin implementation of such system not 
later than 1 year after the date of enactment of the 
Concussion Awareness and Education Act of 2014. 
‘‘(b) DATA TO BE COLLECTED.—The data collected 
under subsection (a) shall, to the extent feasible, include 
each of the following: 
‘‘(1) The incidence of sports related concussions 
in individuals 5 through 21 years of age. 
‘‘(2) Demographic information of the injured 
individuals, including age, sex, race, and ethnicity. 
‘‘(3) Pre-existing conditions of the injured indi-
viduals, such as attention deficit hyperactivity dis-
order and learning disabilities. 
‘‘(4) The concussion history of the injured indi-
viduals, such as the number and dates of prior con-
cussions. 
‘‘(5) The use of protective equipment and im-
pact monitoring devices. 
‘‘(6) The qualifications of personnel diagnosing 
the concussions. 
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‘‘(7) The cause, nature, and extent of the con-
cussive injury, including— 
‘‘(A) the sport or activity involved; 
‘‘(B) the recreational or competitive level 
of the sport or activity involved; 
‘‘(C) the event type involved, including 
whether it was practice or competition; 
‘‘(D) the impact location on the body; 
‘‘(E) the impact nature, such as contact 
with a playing surface, another player, or equip-
ment; and 
‘‘(F) signs and symptoms consistent with a 
concussion.’’. 
SEC. 5. RESEARCH. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Beginning not later than 1 year 
after the date of enactment of this Act, the Director of 
the National Institutes of Health and the Secretary of De-
fense, acting in coordination, shall conduct or support— 
(1) research designed to— 
(A) establish objective, sensitive, and spe-
cific metrics and markers of concussion diag-
nosis, prognosis, and recovery in youth; and 
(B) inform the creation of age-specific, evi-
dence-based guidelines for the management of 
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