Each year, more than 500,000 concussions are sustained in the United States by young people who play football. That’s according to the National Center for Sport Injury Research.
But Senator Chuck Schumer said that number could decrease with a bill he’s now pushing.
It’s called the Children’s Sports Athletic Equipment Safety Act.
Schumer said the legislation would ensure football helmets, new and reconditioned, meet new safety standards to protect young players under the age 18.
"The helmet manufacturers have no oversight and they make the same helmets for players of all ages,” Schumer said. “And the only standard they use is one that would be able to withstand high level force that would otherwise cause a skull fracture."
The bill would set standards in 4 key areas: concussion risk, design for youth helmets, standards for reconditioned helmets and visible warning labels.
Schumer added the bill would not require school districts or parents to purchase new helmets which cost roughly $300 a piece. However, he said once the bill passes it would require that additional helmets purchased by school districts meet the new safety standards.