[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4552 Introduced in House (IH)]

113th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 4552

  To encourage and ensure the use of safe equestrian helmets, and for 
                            other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 1, 2014

    Mr. Himes (for himself, Mr. Carney, Ms. Esty, and Mr. Larson of 
 Connecticut) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                    Committee on Energy and Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To encourage and ensure the use of safe equestrian helmets, 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 ``Christen O'Donnell Equestrian Helmet 
Safety Act of 2013''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    The Congress finds the following:
            (1) Head injuries are the number one reason for hospital 
        admissions of horseback riders and the leading cause of death 
        following a horseback riding injury.
            (2) Over 100 deaths per year are estimated to result from 
        equestrian related activities, with head injuries accounting 
        for 3 of every 5 of these deaths.
            (3) Nearly 68,000 people visited the emergency room in 2012 
        as a result of horseback riding related injuries, with head 
        injuries accounting for 22 percent and concussions accounting 
        for 7 percent of these visits.
            (4) Horseback riding causes 11.7 percent of sports-related 
        traumatic brain injuries, which is the largest percentage of 
        any recreational sport.
            (5) Between 2001 and 2009, children under 19 made 3,638 
        emergency room visits per year for traumatic brain injuries 
        resulting from horseback riding accidents.
            (6) Between 75 and 80 percent of head injuries occur while 
        physically mounted on a horse--when a rider would normally be 
        wearing his or her helmet.
            (7) Racing organizations require helmets, and as a result 
        jockeys now sustain fewer head injuries than pleasure riders.
            (8) The U.S. Pony Clubs lowered head injury rates by 29 
        percent through mandatory helmet use.
            (9) Properly fitted ASTM/SEI certified helmets can reduce 
        head injury-related deaths by 70 to 80 percent.

SEC. 3. STANDARDS.

    (a) In General.--Every equestrian helmet manufactured on or after 
the date that is 9 months after the date of enactment of this Act shall 
meet--
            (1) the interim standard specified in subsection (b), 
        pending the establishment of a final standard pursuant to 
        subsection (c); and
            (2) the final standard, once that standard has been 
        established under subsection (c).
    (b) Interim Standard.--The interim standard for equestrian helmets 
is the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) standard 
designated as F1163.
    (c) Final Standard.--
            (1) Requirement.--Not later than 60 days after the date of 
        enactment of this Act, the Consumer Product Safety Commission 
        shall begin a proceeding under section 553 of title 5, United 
        States Code, to--
                    (A) establish a final standard for equestrian 
                helmets that incorporates all the requirements of the 
                interim standard specified in subsection (b);
                    (B) provide in the final standard a mandate that 
                all approved equestrian helmets be certified to the 
                requirements promulgated under the final standard by an 
                organization that is accredited to certify personal 
                protection equipment in accordance with ISO Guide 65; 
                and
                    (C) include in the final standard any additional 
                provisions that the Commission considers appropriate.
            (2) Inapplicability of certain laws.--Sections 7 and 9 of 
        the Consumer Product Safety Act (15 U.S.C. 2056 and 2058) shall 
        not apply to the proceeding under this subsection, and section 
        11 of such Act (15 U.S.C. 2060) shall not apply with respect to 
        any standard issued under such proceeding.
            (3) Effective date.--The final standard shall take effect 
        not later than 1 year after the date it is issued.
    (d) Failure To Meet Standards.--
            (1) Failure to meet interim standard.--Until the final 
        standard takes effect, an equestrian helmet that does not meet 
        the interim standard, required under subsection (a)(1), shall 
        be considered in violation of a consumer product safety 
        standard promulgated under the Consumer Product Safety Act.
            (2) Status of final standard.--The final standard developed 
        under subsection (c) shall be considered a consumer product 
        safety standard promulgated under the Consumer Product Safety 
        Act.

SEC. 4. AUTHORIZATIONS OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    There is authorized to be appropriated to the Consumer Product 
Safety Commission to carry out this Act, $500,000 for fiscal year 2014, 
which amount shall remain available until expended.

SEC. 5. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Approved equestrian helmet.--The term ``approved 
        equestrian helmet'' means an equestrian helmet that meets--
                    (A) the interim standard specified in section 3(b), 
                pending establishment of a final standard under section 
                3(c); and
                    (B) the final standard, once it is effective under 
                section 3(c).
            (2) Equestrian helmet.--The term ``equestrian helmet'' 
        means a hard shell head covering intended to be worn while 
        participating in an equestrian event or activity.
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