[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 37 (Wednesday, March 5, 2014)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1323-S1324]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




SENATE RESOLUTION 372--SUPPORTING THE GOALS AND IDEALS OF THE SECONDARY 
                SCHOOL STUDENT ATHLETES' BILL OF RIGHTS

  Mr. MENENDEZ submitted the following resolution; which was referred 
to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions:

                              S. Res. 372

       Whereas over 7,700,000 student athletes participated in 
     secondary school athletics during the 2012 to 2013 academic 
     year;
       Whereas it is estimated that in 2012, 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 softball, suffered over 1,300,000 instances of 
     injury;
       Whereas every 3 minutes, a child is treated in an emergency 
     department for a sports-related concussion, accounting for 
     more than 8 percent of all sports-related emergency cases;
       Whereas the number of sports-related concussion injuries 
     has doubled in the last 15 years among student athletes aged 
     8 to 19, despite an overall decrease in the number of 
     students participating in sports;
       Whereas sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) is the leading cause of 
     death for youth participating in sports or exercising, with 
     upwards of 80 percent of those suffering from SCA being 
     asymptomatic prior to cardiac arrest;
       Whereas instances of heat-related illness have more than 
     doubled since 1997 and affect high school football players at 
     an average rate that is 10 times higher than that of 
     participants in other sports;
       Whereas approximately 1,500 children aged 12 to 17 were 
     treated in an emergency department for energy drink-related 
     emergencies in 2011;
       Whereas secondary school student athletes with access to 
     certified athletic health care professionals have lower 
     overall injury rates, lower recurrent injury rates, and lower 
     concussion rates than student athletes without access to 
     certified athletic health care professionals;
       Whereas in light of the increase in athletic-related 
     injuries to student athletes, schools are encouraged to 
     develop and adopt best practices and standards to prevent and 
     address 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 appropriate 
     personnel trained in proper removal of equipment in case of 
     injury;
       (5) participate safely in all environmental conditions 
     where play follows approved guidelines and medical policies 
     and procedures, with a hydration plan in place;
       (6) a safe playing environment with venue-specific 
     emergency action plans that are coordinated by the athletic 
     health care team

[[Page S1324]]

     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 medical 
     assessment;
       (9) immediate, on-site injury assessments with decisions 
     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 
     fatalities 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 reduce 
     injury, promote athlete safety, and encourage well-being: 
     Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) expresses support for the principles and values set 
     forth in the Secondary School Student Athletes' Bill of 
     Rights;
       (2) recognizes the importance of proper safety measures, 
     timely medical assessments, and appropriate 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.

                          ____________________