A bill was introduced last week in Congress to mandate all college and high school athletics programs across the country to create emergency action plans for heat-related illness.
According to Yahoo News, U.S. representative Kweisi Mfume and senator Angela Alsobrooks from Maryland introduced the Jordan McNair Student Athlete Heart Fatality Prevention Act in honor of Jordan McNair, a University of Maryland football player who died from heat-related illness in 2018.
The bill was introduced in 2023, but it did not receive a vote at that time. Now, the same lawmakers are hoping for a different outcome.
"These deaths are preventable," said Rep. Mfume. "Through legislation like the Jordan McNair Act, we can ensure that parents and players alike have peace of mind that their health is accounted for."
Related: Congress to Consider Jordan McNair Heat Fatality Prevention Act
McNair was a first-year football player at the University of Maryland when he collapsed during a May 2018 workout. He died two weeks later. In the aftermath, investigations at the Terrapinsâ athletics department revealed that 90 minutes passed before 911 was called to hospitalize McNair. The team also lacked proper cooling equipment and did not check McNairâs core temperature.
The Jordan McNair Student Athlete Heart Fatality Prevention Act would require teams to have cooling technology like cold-water immersion tubs or simply increased training of athletic training staff to handle heat-related illness.
National Athletic Trainersâ Association President, AJ Duffy said that âwhile not every athlete has access to a certified athletic trainer, heat illness protocols can mean the difference between life and death.â
