A bill introduced by West Virginia legislators that would have required the use of Guardian Caps for all high school football players in the state has died on the vine.
According to West Virginia News, Senate Bill 585, also known as the Cohen Craddock Student Athlete Safety Ac, would have mandated the use of Guardian Caps for all youth football players in the state, but the bill didn’t pass this year, meaning there is no requirement for schools to use the additional protections.
The West Virginia Secondary School Activities Commission has already approved Guardian Caps for use in practice and games, but very few athletes in the state are using them.
Related: Study: Guardian Caps Did Not Reduce Concussions in High School Football Players
“I think that although the intentions were very well-founded for that bill, it didn’t really have a lot of good science behind it,” said senator Eric Tarr (R-Putnam). “Relative to the expense that it takes to manage concussions well, and reduce concussions, I think that it took away from the ability to actually direct money towards stuff that had some science behind it.”
Each Guardian Cap costs approximately $60 — a price that some school officials said may be more than certain districts can afford.
While Senate Bill 585 passed in the Senate, it was never brought to a vote in the House. Lawmakers said there’s a chance it may be reintroduced during the next legislative session.
