[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 7274 Introduced in House (IH)]







110th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 7274

To amend title III of the Public Health Service Act to provide for the 
 establishment and implementation of concussion management guidelines 
       with respect to student athletes, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           November 19, 2008

 Mr. Pascrell (for himself, Mr. Platts, and Ms. Jackson-Lee of Texas) 
 introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
                          Energy and Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To amend title III of the Public Health Service Act to provide for the 
 establishment and implementation of concussion management guidelines 
       with respect to student athletes, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Concussion Treatment and Care Tools 
Act of 2008'' or the ``ConTACT Act of 2008''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) Concussions are mild traumatic brain injuries, the 
        long-term effects of which are not well understood.
            (2) As many as 3.8 million concussions related to sports 
        and recreation are estimated to occur in the United States each 
        year.
            (3) There is an increased risk for subsequent brain 
        injuries among persons who have had at least one previous brain 
        injury.
            (4) A repeat concussion, one that occurs before the brain 
        recovers from a previous concussion, can slow recovery or 
        increase the likelihood of having long-term problems.
            (5) In rare cases, repeat concussions can result in second 
        impact syndrome, which can be marked by brain swelling, 
        permanent brain damage, and death.
            (6) Recurrent brain injuries and second impact syndrome are 
        highly preventable.
            (7) Many national organizations, including the American 
        Academy of Neurology, the National Football League, the 
        American Academy of Family Physicians, and the Brain Injury 
        Association of America, have adopted concussion management 
        guidelines, but multiple directives have created confusion and 
        sparked debate.

SEC. 3. CONCUSSION MANAGEMENT GUIDELINES WITH RESPECT TO STUDENT 
              ATHLETES.

    Part B of title III of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 243 
et seq.) is amended by inserting after section 317T the following:

``SEC. 317U. CONCUSSION MANAGEMENT GUIDELINES WITH RESPECT TO STUDENT 
              ATHLETES.

    ``(a) Grants to States.--
            ``(1) In general.--The Secretary, acting through the 
        Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, may 
        make grants to States for the purposes of--
                    ``(A) establishing, disseminating, and ensuring the 
                implementation by schools of concussion management 
                guidelines with respect to the prevention, 
                identification, treatment, and management of sports-
                related concussions in student athletes, including 
                standards for student athletes to return to play after 
                a concussion; and
                    ``(B) funding implementation by schools of 
                computerized pre-season baseline and post-injury 
                neuropsychological testing for student athletes.
            ``(2) Grant applications.--To be eligible to receive a 
        grant under this section, a State shall submit an application 
        at such time, in such manner, and containing such information 
        as the Secretary shall require. An application for the first 
        grant to a State under this section shall include at least an 
        agreement to establish concussion management guidelines with 
        respect to the student athletes in such State.
            ``(3) Utilization of local chapters of national brain 
        injury organizations.--In establishing, disseminating, and 
        ensuring the implementation by schools of concussion management 
        guidelines pursuant to a grant under this section, States shall 
        utilize, to the extent practicable, applicable expertise and 
        services offered by local chapters of national brain injury 
        organizations.
    ``(b) Conference on Concussion Management Guidelines.--Not later 
than 2 years after the date of the enactment of this section, the 
Secretary, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease 
Control and Prevention, shall convene a conference of medical, 
athletic, and educational stakeholders to establish model concussion 
management guidelines with respect to student athletes.
    ``(c) Coordination of Activities.--In carrying out activities under 
this section, the Secretary shall appropriately coordinate with Federal 
departments and agencies that carry out activities related to 
concussions and traumatic brain injuries.
    ``(d) Report.--Not later than 2 years after the date of the 
enactment of this section, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a 
report describing the results of activities carried out under this 
section, including the number of States that have established 
concussion management guidelines and the number of schools that have 
implemented computerized pre-season baseline and post-injury 
neuropsychological testing for student athletes.
    ``(e) Definitions.--In this section, the following definitions 
apply:
            ``(1) The term `State' means each of the 50 States and the 
        District of Columbia.
            ``(2) The term `student athlete' means an individual in any 
        of the grades 6th through 12th who participates in a sport 
        through their school.
    ``(f) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this section $5,000,000 for fiscal year 2009 
and such sums as may be necessary for each of fiscal years 2010 through 
2013.''.
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