WASHINGTON—In response to the tragic death of Montclair High School’s Ryne Dougherty, U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-NJ-08), the co-founder and co-chairman of the Congressional Brain Injury Task Force today introduced legislation in the House of Representatives to help schools better protect student athletes from head injuries. The legislation, called the Concussion Treatment and Care Tools (ConTACT) Act, will assist schools invest in concussion screening technology and adopt better concussion management guidelines.
“Providing basic preventative technology and guidelines to mitigate the effects of head injuries can reduce the number of tragic deaths and countless injuries that occur in youth athletics,” stated Pascrell. “I will push hard with the weight of the entire Congressional Brain Injury Task Force to implement the ConTACT Act.”
The ConTACT Act will create a state grant program through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that will fund computerized pre-season baseline and post-concussion neurological testing for school sponsored sports. Schools that enroll students from grades 6 through 12 will be eligible for the funding.
The grant program would be authorized for 5 years and is estimated to cost $5 million in the first year. It would require a report to Congress within 2 years of enactment regarding the use and results of screening technology.
The legislation will also require the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to convene a conference of medical, athletic, and education professionals to establish a set of concussion management guidelines for student athletes.
“The CDC estimates that 3.8 million sports-related concussions occur in the United States each year,” stated Pascrell. “With each occurrence, a concussion victim becomes more vulnerable to sustain a second, more severe concussion if impact happens again. As too many families and communities have experienced, the consequences of repeat concussions can be tragic. It is critical that student athletes receive immediate care any time head trauma occurs. The science to mitigate the effects of repeat concussions is here and the technology is widely available for a reasonable cost. With the will of the government, school administrators, parents and students, I know we can expand the use of concussion prevention technology to youth athletic programs all across the country.”
The legislation was developed by Rep. Pascrell, Rep. Todd Platts (R-PA-19) and the Brain Injury Task Force with consultation from the Brain Injury Association of America, the New Jersey Brain Injury Association, the National Association of State Head Injury Administrators, the Athletic Trainers Society of New Jersey, the International Brain Research Foundation and the New Jersey Office of Disability Services.
Pascrell has long been a strong advocate for expanding concussion management technology to youth athletics. In August of 2006, Pascrell visited a Nutley High School football practice to announce a new round of grants for New Jersey high schools to implement concussion management technology.
“My thoughts and prayers remain with the Dougherty family and all of Ryne’s classmates and community. I know Ryne’s spirit, dedication, friendship and character will inspire his beloved teammates this weekend when Montclair High competes to advance in the playoffs,” concluded Pascrell.
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