[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 190 (Thursday, October 28, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Page S7456]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        PROTECTING STUDENT ATHLETES FROM CONCUSSIONS ACT OF 2021

  Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, as our students return to in-person 
instruction, they also will return to school sports. We encourage our 
students to be active and play schools sports to promote healthy 
habits, team-building skills, and socialization, which are especially 
important after a year of remote learning due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 
Yet every year, more than 140,000 estimated student athletes sustain a 
concussion, and that is just the reported count. We can be sure that 
many more go unreported and untreated.
  The health benefits of competing in school sports are undermined if 
students are staying out on the field after an injury, especially 
concussions. Unfortunately, many student athletes return to play 
prematurely, and there is growing evidence that untreated concussions 
can have detrimental, long term effects on their health and academic 
performance.
  That is why last week I reintroduced the Protecting Student Athletes 
from Concussions Act. My bill would direct states to develop concussion 
safety plans for public schools that include a concussion safety 
awareness component. Certain States, like Illinois, already have such 
procedures in place, but it is high time we make this true for all 
States. By equipping our schools and communities with evidence-based 
guidance for responding to concussions, we can keep our students and 
their futures safe.
  The bill also would require States to adopt a ``when in doubt, sit it 
out'' policy. If there is even the possibility that a student athlete 
has suffered a concussion, their health and safety ought to be the No. 
1 priority. That means, if an athlete is suspected of having sustained 
a concussion, they should sit out and not be allowed to return to play 
the same day. They should return to play only once evaluated and 
cleared by a qualified healthcare professional.
  Let's be clear: A concussion is a traumatic brain injury that affects 
brain function. It is, by no means, something we can simply shake or 
walk off. Getting your ``bell rung,'' like they used to say in my day, 
is a serious threat to a young person. The still-developing brains of 
students make them more susceptible to injury, making concussions all 
the more dangerous.
  A ``when in doubt, sit it out'' policy, endorsed by the American 
College of Sports Medicine and the American Academy of Neurology, will 
put the decision to return to the game in the hands of qualified 
healthcare professionals. It will prevent student athletes from 
experiencing successive injuries by staying in the game when they are 
not fit. It will give student athletes time to heal and help ensure 
that short-term symptoms do not become long-term effects.
  As we return to in-person instruction, we must use common-sense and 
evidence-based approaches to ensure student safety. For school sports, 
this means we have to put the necessary procedures for preventing, 
detecting, responding to, and treating concussions in place. This bill 
would help do that.
  It is why my bill is endorsed by the American College of Sports 
Medicine; American Academy of Neurology; National Football League 
(NFL); National Basketball Association (NBA); Major League Baseball 
(MLB); National Hockey League (NHL); National Collegiate Athletic 
Association (NCAA); American Academy of Sports Physical Therapy; 
Academy of Neurologic Physical Therapy; American Physical Therapy 
Association; Easterseals; Illinois High School Association; National 
Association of School Psychologists; National Association of Secondary 
School Principals; National Disability Rights Network; National 
Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association; National Parent 
Teacher Association; Pop Warner Little Scholars; U.S. Soccer 
Federation; USA Cheer; USA Football; Safe Kids World Wide; and Sports & 
Fitness Industry Association.
  I hope my colleagues will join me in this common-sense, evidence-
based approach to protecting student athletes. Thank you.

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