Kudos to the PA Senate (and previously the PA House) for passing the Safety in Youth Sports Act (SB 200). They join 30 other states that have passed this type of legislation. The bill is now waiting to be signed by the Governor.
Over the last few years, there has been a big push (driven by the NFL) to protect the heads of students athletes. Far too many students experience concussions, and the symptoms are ignored. This can lead to severe injury or possibly death. This bill prevents such careless behavior by ensuring that any athlete with symptoms must be cleared by a medical professional before returning to competition.
But PA lawmakers aren’t stopping there. Unlike the other states, PA is also looking after the hearts of student athletes. Sudden cardiac arrest is the #1 killer of student athletes. Fainting is the #1 warning sign of sudden cardiac arrest. So it only makes sense to have a law that protects the heart too.
The Sudden Cardiac Arrest Prevention Act (HB 1610) unanimously passed the House in October. It protects the student athlete by requiring any student who exhibits symptoms of sudden cardiac arrest be examined and cleared by a medical professional before returning to competition. It is now being considered in the Senate. We anxiously await its passage and look forward to PA being the first state that protects the head and the heart of our young athletes.
