# Jordan McNair Student Athlete Heat Fatality Prevention Act

This bill is designed to prevent heat-related deaths among student athletes by requiring schools to establish specific safety protocols and emergency procedures. The bill was named after Jordan McNair, a University of Maryland football player who died in 2018 from heat stroke during a practice. It focuses on making sure schools have the right equipment, trained staff, and emergency plans in place to recognize and respond quickly to heat illness.

The main requirements include having athletic trainers or other qualified medical personnel present at all mandatory athletic practices and competitions, especially during hot weather. Schools must have cold water immersion equipment (like ice baths) readily available and staff trained to use it immediately if someone shows signs of heat illness. The bill also requires schools to develop heat acclimatization protocols—basically gradual training schedules that allow athletes' bodies to adjust to exercising in hot conditions rather than jumping into intense workouts right away. Additionally, schools need to create emergency action plans specifically for heat-related medical emergencies and make sure coaches and staff understand the warning signs of heat stroke.

This affects student athletes at schools receiving federal funding, coaches, athletic trainers, and school administrators who oversee sports programs. For athletes and their families, it means better protection and faster emergency response if something goes wrong. For schools, it means investing in training, equipment, and personnel to meet these safety standards. The goal is straightforward: prevent tragedies like Jordan McNair's death by ensuring every school has the knowledge, equipment, and procedures needed to handle heat emergencies before they become fatal.

Jordan McNair Student Athlete Heat Fatality Prevention Act

Cardin, Benjamin L.

Jordan McNair Student Athlete Heat Fatality Prevention Act This bill requires each institution of higher education (IHE) that participates in federal student aid programs and is a member of an athletic association or athletic conference to develop and implement a venue-specific heat illness emergency action plan for operating and using automatic external defibrillators and cold-water immersion equipment. Specifically, each plan must include a symptom identification structure and a coordination of care plan for student athletes exhibiting signs of heat illness that is posted in each locker room, athletic training facility, weight room, and outdoor sports complex and stadium. Additionally, each plan must <ul> <li>be made available on the athletic program website or public website of the IHE at the beginning of each academic year;</li> <li>be distributed to local emergency responders; and</li> <li>be distributed to, and rehearsed in person, by specific individuals (e.g., student athletes, coaches, and athletic trainers) before the start of in-person training for each academic year.</li> </ul> The bill also requires an IHE to submit an annual report that demonstrates compliance with this bill's requirements.