NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A4116
SPONSOR: Benedetto (MS) TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the public health law, in relation to prohibiting chil-
dren twelve years old and younger from playing tackle football
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:
This bill will prohibit the playing of organized tackle football for
children age twelve and younger.
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC REVISIONS:
Article 25 of the public health law will be amended by adding a new
Title VII entitled YOUTH SPORT, Section 2595. Prohibition of tackle
football.
JUSTIFICATION:
Research over the last decade has shown that concussions and sub concus-
sive blows have a negative impact on brain development in young chil-
dren. Prohibiting organized contact football in our youngest children
will better protect them from sustaining serious head injuries until
their bodies mature to a point where it will be safer for them to play.
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
2020-19: A.2692 Referred to Health
2018-17: A.1269 Referred to Health
2016-15: A.4448 Referred to Health
2014-13: A.4529 Referred to Health
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
None
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
4116
2021-2022 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
February 1, 2021
___________
Introduced by M. of A. BENEDETTO, SAYEGH, TAYLOR, FAHY, EPSTEIN, RODRI-
GUEZ, GALEF, GOTTFRIED, O'DONNELL, SIMON, ABINANTI, AUBRY, CARROLL,
GLICK, NOLAN, J. RIVERA, DAVILA, REYES -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of
A. DE LA ROSA -- read once and referred to the Committee on Health
AN ACT to amend the public health law, in relation to prohibiting chil-
dren twelve years old and younger from playing tackle football
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. This act shall be known and may be cited as the "John Mack-
2 ey youth football protection act".
3 § 2. The public health law is amended by adding a new section 2596 to
4 read as follows:
5 § 2596. Prohibition of tackle football. 1. No child twelve years old
6 or younger shall play, practice, or otherwise engage in organized tackle
7 football; provided however, that nothing within this section shall
8 prohibit children twelve years old and younger from playing, practicing,
9 or otherwise participating in any form of football which does not
10 involve tackling.
11 2. Any school, league or other entity whose purpose is to allow chil-
12 dren to participate in football, who allows children twelve years old or
13 younger to play, practice, or otherwise engage in tackle football shall
14 be liable for a civil penalty under the provisions of title two of arti-
15 cle one of this chapter.
16 3. For the purposes of this section:
17 (a) "Organized tackle football" shall include any practice, game or
18 other activity which involves engaging in tackle football and which is
19 organized by a school, or public or private league or other entity whose
20 purpose is to allow children to participate in contact football.
21 (b) "Tackle" shall mean to physically impede the forward movement of a
22 player who is in possession of the ball to the extent that:
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD08453-01-1
A. 4116 2
1 (i) the player's forward movement is stopped and the player is unable
2 to resume such forward movement; or
3 (ii) the player is forced to touch some part of his or her body to the
4 ground other than the player's hands or feet.
5 § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.
