Miller: President’s Plans Will Help Protect Youth from Concussions
WASHINGTON—Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.), senior Democrat on the House Education and the Workforce Committee and leader of legislative efforts to better protect our nation’s children from concussions sustained while playing sports, released the following statement in response to the White House’s Healthy Kids & Safe Sports Concussion Summit:
“Sports are a great way for our nation’s youth to stay healthy, as well as to learn important leadership and team-building skills. But concussions sustained while playing sports can have a serious effect on young, developing brains, and can cause short- and long-term problems affecting how a child thinks, acts, learns, and feels. There are serious gaps in our knowledge of concussions, and there is a startling lack of data on the issue, especially in youth sports. We can and must do better.
“The plans President Obama laid out today will help protect children and student athletes from concussions by raising awareness about concussions and helping better identify and treat them when they do occur. Like much in the world of sports, tackling this problem requires a team approach. We all have a role to play in helping to prevent, identify, and respond to concussions. The president’s plans ensure that all stakeholders are engaged so that young people can remain active and healthy.”
Rep. Miller is a leading co-sponsor of Rep. Tim Bishop’s (D-NY) Protecting Student Athletes From Concussions Act of 2013 (H.R. 3532), which would establish minimum standards in K-12 schools on concussion safety and management, including educating students, parents, and school personnel about how to recognize and respond to concussions. He authored the original version of the legislation, introduced in both the 111th and 112th Congresses.
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