IV 
113TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. RES. 72 
Supporting the goals and ideals of the Secondary School Student Athletes’ 
Bill of Rights. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
FEBRUARY 15, 2013 
Mr. GERLACH (for himself and Mr. NUNES) submitted the following resolu-
tion; which was referred to the Committee on Education and the Work-
force, and in addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, 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 com-
mittee concerned 
RESOLUTION 
Supporting the goals and ideals of the Secondary School 
Student Athletes’ Bill of Rights. 
Whereas over 7,700,000 student athletes participated in sec-
ondary school athletics during the 2011 to 2012 aca-
demic year; 
Whereas it is estimated that over the course of the 2011 to 
2012 academic year, secondary school student athletes 
participating in 9 of the most popular high school sports, 
including football, boys’ and girls’ soccer, girls’ volleyball, 
boys’ and girls’ basketball, wrestling, baseball, and soft-
ball, suffered over 1,300,000 instances of injury; 
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•HRES 72 IH 
Whereas 22 percent of injuries suffered by secondary school 
student athletes during the 2011 to 2012 academic year 
were concussions; 
Whereas the number of concussion injuries has steadily in-
creased from 9 percent of total injuries incurred during 
the 2005 to 2006 academic year to nearly 25 percent of 
all injuries experienced by student athletes during the 
2011 to 2012 academic year; 
Whereas secondary school student athletes with access to cer-
tified athletic health care professionals have lower overall 
injury rates, lower recurrent injury rates, and lower con-
cussion rates than student athletes without access to cer-
tified athletic health care professionals; 
Whereas with an increase in both the exposure of secondary 
school students to athletics and incidents of athletic-re-
lated injuries, schools are encouraged to develop and 
adopt best practices and standards to prevent and ad-
dress student athlete injury; 
Whereas the Secondary School Student Athletes’ Bill of 
Rights sets forth that secondary school student athletes 
have the right to— 
(1) be coached by individuals who are well-trained in 
sport-specific safety and to be monitored by athletic 
health care team members; 
(2) quality, regular pre-participation examinations 
and each athlete has the right to participate under a 
comprehensive concussion management plan; 
(3) participate in sporting activities on safe, clean 
playing surfaces, in both indoor and outdoor facilities; 
(4) utilize equipment and uniforms that are safe, 
fitted appropriately, and routinely maintained, and to ap-
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•HRES 72 IH 
propriate personnel trained in proper removal of equip-
ment in case of injury; 
(5) participate safely in all environmental conditions 
where play follows approved guidelines and medical poli-
cies and procedures, with a hydration plan in place; 
(6) a safe playing environment with venue-specific 
emergency action plans that are coordinated by the ath-
letic health care team and regularly rehearsed with local 
emergency personnel; 
(7) privacy of health information and proper referral 
for medical, psychosocial, and nutritional counseling; 
(8) participate in a culture that finds ‘‘playing 
through pain’’ unacceptable unless there has been a med-
ical assessment; 
(9) immediate, on-site injury assessments with deci-
sions made by qualified sports medicine professionals; 
and 
(10) along with their parents, the latest information 
about the benefits and potential risks of participation in 
competitive sports, including access to statistics on fatali-
ties and catastrophic injuries to youth athletes; and 
Whereas the Secondary School Student Athletes’ Bill of 
Rights, which sets forth goals and ideals to improve the 
health, well-being, and athletic experience of secondary 
school students, can serve as a valuable resource to re-
duce injury, promote athlete safety, and encourage well- 
being: Now, therefore, be it 
Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 
(1) expresses support for the principles and val-
ues set forth in the Secondary School Student Ath-
letes’ Bill of Rights; 
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(2) recognizes the importance of proper safety 
measures, timely medical assessments, and appro-
priate environmental conditions in ensuring the 
health and well-being of secondary school student 
athletes; 
(3) recognizes the role that teachers, parents, 
coaches, and athletic health care team members play 
in ensuring the safety and well-being of secondary 
school student athletes; 
(4) expresses support for secondary schools that 
have successfully implemented programs, policies, 
and practices to emphasize and encourage student 
athlete safety and well-being; and 
(5) encourages secondary schools to continue to 
take all available and reasonable efforts to ensure 
student athlete safety. 
Æ 
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