Protecting Student Athletes From Concussions Act of 2021

Floor Speech

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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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