California Lawmakers Mull Bill Allowing Youth Football Players to Wear Helmet Safety Add-Ons

The California State Assembly is tackling youth football safety head-on. Assembly member Avelino Valencia introduced Assembly Bill 708 to stop youth football leagues in California from prohibiting padded helmet add-ons. 

According to CalMatters, youth football leagues in the state currently forbid the use of helmet add-ons, like Guardian Cap or SAFR. The leagues and helmet manufacturers claim the add-ons negate any helmet safety certifications, “unless the add-on has been tested and separately certified.”

However, Valencia and two other former football players in the Assembly believe that giving youth athletes a chance to protect their heads is the next best step for football. This bill comes in the wake of an attempt last fall to ban youth tackle football entirely in the state.  

“I think this is the direction that I feel most comfortable in, which is trying to make the game as safe as possible, while also providing the opportunity for parents and young people to play this game if they so choose,” said Valenica, who previously played as a tight end for San Jose State.

Related: How Two Wake Forest Alums are Making the Game of Football Safer with Helmet Covers

Assembly members Steve Bennett and David Tangipa, who played at Brown University and Fresno State University respectively, are in support of Valencia’s bill.

Bennett told CalMatters that the equipment has changed greatly from when he played in the 1960s and 1970s, and there was the same pushback when leagues transitioned from leather caps to hard helmets.

“The evidence is substantially clear,” Valencia said, that the helmet add-ons reduce the risk of concussions in young players.

So far, no lawmakers in the Assembly have opposed Valencia’s bill, which has the support of the California Medical Association. Next, it will head to the Senate for a final vote. If it passes, it will be up to Governor Newsom to sign it into law.