On, Thursday, September 23, the House Education and Labor Committee discussed legislation to reduce and more safely manage concussions in student athletes.  At the request of several members of the Education and Labor Committee, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) investigated the prevalence of concussions in high school athletics and found that concussions often go unrecognized. Recent research shows that concussions can have serious repercussions for student athletes both on the field and in the classroom. During the 2005-2008 school years, an estimated 400,000 concussions occurred in high school athletics – brain injuries that often go unnoticed and untreated.

The Protecting Student Athletes from Concussions Act 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. The Education and Labor Committee held a full committee hearing on the issue in May and hosted a field hearing in Long Island, New York in early September.

On Monday, September 13th, the Healthy Families and Communities Subcommittee, chaired by U.S. Rep. Carolyn McCarthy (D-NY), held a field hearing in Long Island, New York to explore how schools and communities can help raise awareness of the risks of concussions and improve concussion management for students.

In May, the committee held a hearing that looked at the effect of concussions on student achievement. Witnesses testified that student athletes’ academic performance in school suffers when concussions are not properly managed. Each year, about 140,000 high school athletes suffer concussions.

On Thursday, May 20th, the House Education and Labor Committee held a hearing to examine the prevalence of concussions among high school athletes and how the injury can impact academic achievement. In the 2005-2008 school year, an estimated 400,000 concussions occurred in high school athletics. Concussions are notoriously difficult to diagnose due to the wide range of symptoms they produce and, if mistreated or left untreated, can lead to chronic impairment.