Jordan McNair Student Athlete Heat Fatality Prevention Act
Impact
The bill introduces comprehensive requirements for developing heat illness emergency action plans required to be executed at athletic venues. These plans must include a symptom identification framework and coordination of care for athletes showing signs of heat illness. They also have to be prominently displayed in various training and sporting areas, and communicated to all involved personnel including coaches, trainers, and local emergency responders. Implementation of these plans is crucial, as it aligns institutions with heightened awareness and preparedness against heat-related conditions in athletic settings.
Summary
Senate Bill 2081, known as the 'Jordan McNair Student Athlete Heat Fatality Prevention Act,' seeks to amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 by mandating that institutions of higher education, which are members of athletic associations or conferences, implement venue-specific heat illness emergency action plans. This legislation stems from the tragic death of Jordan McNair, a student athlete at the University of Maryland, who died due to complications from exertional heatstroke during practice. These plans aim to develop protocols that enhance the safety of student athletes in extreme heat conditions.
Contention
The discussions around SB 2081 highlight the ongoing concerns regarding the safety of athletes in extreme weather. Critics argue whether current institutional resources are sufficient to sustain the demands imposed by the new regulations. Proponents, however, emphasize the bill as a necessary measure to avert heat-related fatalities in sports and to enforce a uniform standard of care for student athletes across all educational institutions. The push for this legislation can be seen as part of a broader movement to ensure that sports organizations adopt strict guidelines to safeguard athletes' health.
Notable_points
An essential aspect of the bill is the acknowledgment of rising temperatures and their associated risks, particularly in outdoor sports. Reports indicate that heat is the leading climate-related cause of death within this context. The legacy of Jordan McNair has significantly influenced this legislative action, underlining the importance of medical staff training and prompt emergency response, which were insufficient during his incident. Institutions must report compliance annually after the implementation of these emergency action plans, ensuring accountability and ongoing assessment of athlete safety standards.
School athletics; directing the State Department of Education and the State Department of Health to develop certain guidelines regarding exertional heat-related illness. Effective date. Emergency.
Requires public colleges to adopt policy for prevention and treatment of exertional heat illness; requires pamphlet on heat stroke be provided to student-athletes, parents, and coaches at public colleges and K-12 schools.
Requires public colleges to adopt policy for prevention and treatment of exertional heat illness; requires pamphlet on heat stroke be provided to student-athletes, parents, and coaches at public colleges and K-12 schools.
Recognizing that the climate crisis disproportionately affects the health, economic opportunity, and fundamental rights of children, expressing the sense of Congress that leadership by the United States is still urgently needed to address the climate crisis, and acknowledging the need of the United States to develop a national, comprehensive, science-based, and just climate recovery plan to phase out fossil fuel emissions, protect and enhance natural carbon sequestration, and put the United States on a path toward stabilizing the climate system.