WASHINGTON, D.C.—Chairman John D. (Jay) Rockefeller (D-WV) today issued the following statement ahead of Thursday’s Healthy Kids & Safe Sports Concussion Summit at the White House. Last month, the Senate Commerce Committee passed S. 1014, the Youth Sports Concussions Act, introduced by Rockefeller and Sen. Tom Udall of New Mexico. The legislation seeks to protect youth athletes from the dangers of concussions by curbing false advertising claims that sports equipment manufacturers make in order to sell protective gear for sports. S. 1014 now awaits action by the full Senate.

“Concussions are a very serious issue for children playing sports, and we should be doing everything to prevent and treat them. So it’s deeply frustrating that manufacturers can, and too easily, make false promises about the protective qualities of their products -- yet there’s no evidence I’ve seen that proves sports equipment is actually protecting youth athletes from concussions, and the Institute of Medicine backs this up. The bill I’ve introduced with Senator Udall will provide law enforcement with the necessary tools to crack down on these indefensible, deceptive marketing claims. Congressional action is needed so that we can finally put an end to bad actors who prey on the fears of parents and peddle products with false safety claims. The White House's efforts this week to raise awareness around this very important issue should be commended, and I hope that the summit will create further momentum for our bill to be passed by the Senate.”

Background:

The Youth Sports Concussion Act will increase potential penalties for using false injury prevention claims to sell youth sports equipment. The legislation is supported by major sports leagues and players associations, high school and college sports associations, pediatricians, scientists, and several consumer groups. The Institute of Medicine (IOM) of the National Academy of Sciences recently released a report concluding there is little to no medical evidence that youth sports equipment protects against risks of concussions. At Rockefeller and Udall’s urging, the IOM studied how best to protect young athletes from sports-related concussions so parents and coaches can make informed decisions about how to keep athletes safe.

The legislation was first introduced after the Senate Commerce Committee held a hearing in October 2011 on sports equipment marketing and concussions. During the hearing, it was revealed that sports equipment manufacturers have repeatedly made claims that their equipment “prevents concussions” or “reduce the risk of concussions” without scientific evidence to back those claims.

Supporters of The Youth Sports Concussions Act:

1. American Academy of Neurology
2. American Academy of Pediatrics
3. Brain Injury Association of America
4. Brain Trauma Foundation
5. Cleveland Clinic
6. Consumer Federation of America
7. Consumers Union
8. Major League Baseball
9. Major League Baseball Players Association
10. Major League Soccer
11. Major League Soccer Players Union
12. National Association of State Head Injury Administrators
13. National Athletic Trainers' Association
14. National Basketball Association
15. National Collegiate Athletic Association
16. National Consumers League
17. National Federation of State High School Associations
18. National Football League
19. National Football League Players Association
20. National Hockey League
21. National Hockey League Players’ Association
22. National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association
23. National Operating Committee on Standards for Athletic Equipment
24. Safe Kids Worldwide
25. US Lacrosse
26. US Soccer Federation
27. USA Hockey
28. Xenith

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