[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2972 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

113th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 2972

 To require all equestrian helmets manufactured or sold in the United 
     States meet a minimum safety standard, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            December 3, 2014

  Mr. Blumenthal (for himself, Mr. Coons, Mr. Murphy, and Mr. Carper) 
introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the 
           Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To require all equestrian helmets manufactured or sold in the United 
     States meet a minimum safety standard, 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 2014''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress makes the following findings:
            (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) More than 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 an 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 younger than 19 years 
        of age 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 United States 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 FOR EQUESTRIAN HELMETS.

    (a) Equestrian Helmet Defined.--In this section, the term 
``equestrian helmet'' means a hard shell head covering intended to be 
worn while participating in an equestrian event or activity.
    (b) Requirement.--Every equestrian helmet manufactured on or after 
the date that is 270 days after the date of the enactment of this Act 
shall meet--
            (1) in the case that the Consumer Product Safety Commission 
        has not established a standard under subsection (c), the ASTM 
        International standard designated as F1163 or successor 
        standard; and
            (2) in the case that the Commission has established a 
        standard under subsection (c), the standard established under 
        subsection (c).
    (c) Standard.--
            (1) In general.--The Consumer Product Safety Commission may 
        promulgate a standard for equestrian helmets that incorporates 
        all of the requirements of the ASTM International standard 
        designated as F1163 or successor standard.
            (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 promulgation of a standard under paragraph 
        (1), and section 11 of such Act (15 U.S.C. 2060) shall not 
        apply with respect to any standard promulgated under paragraph 
        (1).
            (3) Status of standard.--A standard promulgated under 
        paragraph (1) shall be considered a consumer product safety 
        standard promulgated under the Consumer Product Safety Act (15 
        U.S.C. 2051 et seq.).
    (d) Enforcement.--An equestrian helmet subject to subsection (b) 
that does not meet the applicable standard specified in such subsection 
shall be considered in violation of a consumer product safety standard 
promulgated under the Consumer Product Safety Act (15 U.S.C. 2051 et 
seq.).
    (e) Authorizations of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to the Consumer Product Safety Commission to carry out 
this section, $500,000 for fiscal year 2014, which amount shall remain 
available until expended.
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