Tag Archives: Capito

Senate Marks National Concussion Awareness Day

The U.S. Senate unanimously consented to a resolution supporting the designation of September 18, 2026, as National Concussion Awareness Day, on September 23.

Cosponsored by Sen. Maggie Hassan (NH) and Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (WV), S.Res. 892 encourages federal, state, and local policymakers to raise awareness and improve understanding of diagnosis and management of this most common form of mild traumatic brain injury and calls for further research and prevention efforts. To support this, the resolution cites a number of statistics, including CDC data noting “between 2001 and 2018, an estimated 3,800,000 children under age 17 visited an emergency department because of a traumatic brain injury sustained during sports- or recreation-related activities.”

“Recognizing the signs of a concussion early helps people get the treatment they need to prevent lasting neurological damage from these injuries,” Hassan said. Capito concurred: “Improving concussion prevention, raising awareness, and strengthening diagnosis and treatment are critical to keeping athletes, coaches, parents, and others safe and informed on the field and in the workplace.

Senate’s College Sports Overhaul Includes Safety

On June 2, the Protect College Sports Act, S.4668, was introduced by Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Ted Cruz (TX) alongside Ranking Member Maria Cantwell (WA), Senator Eric Schmitt (MO) and Senator Chris Coons (DE). Chiefly an overhaul of name, image and likeness rules, “It [also] establishes strong health and safety protections,” stated Cruz on June 3, a day that was headlined by a hearing with the former Alabama coach Nick Saban. The legislation would require concussion and brain-injury safety standards enforced by independent officers and create a $60 million annual trust fund for long-term conditions such as CTE.

Infographic showing four pillars of college sports safety: injury prevention, facility safety, medical support, and education preparedness.

The committee voted 19-9 on June 18 to advance it, and it now sits on the Senate calendar awaiting a floor vote. Last week, on July 13, 2026, the bipartisan Protect College Sports Act picked up two new backers, as Senators Shelley Moore Capito (WV) and Peter Welch (VT) signed on as cosponsors. Days later, Senator Eric Schmitt told the Associated Press Sports Editors that they “probably have 60 votes,” meeting the threshold the measure needs to clear the full Senate.

The bill is backed by the NCAA but is opposed by the SEC and Big Ten. However, this opposition appears to be against financial aspects of the bill and about over government overreach, and not about new safety standards. Additionally, a House companion bill, H.R. 9137, remains in committee. President Trump has urged passage “this summer”.