H.R. 4517

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4517 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 4517

To amend section 485 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 to require 
certain institutions of higher education to develop and implement a 
venue-specific heat-related illnesses emergency action plan, and for 
other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

July 17, 2025

Mr. Mfume (for himself, Ms. Norton, Ms. Elfreth, and Mr. David Scott of 
Georgia) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Education and Workforce

_______________________________________________________________________

A BILL

To amend section 485 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 to require 
certain institutions of higher education to develop and implement a 
venue-specific heat-related illnesses emergency action plan, and for 
other purposes.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ``Jordan McNair Student Athlete Heat 
Fatality Prevention Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

Congress finds the following:
(1) Heat-related illnesses are a serious medical condition 
that result from the body's inability to cool itself down in 
extremely hot environments. Heat-related illnesses include heat 
stroke, heat exhaustion, heat cramps, heat syncope, heat rash, 
and muscle breakdown. When experiencing heat illness, patients 
may exhibit an array of symptoms including but not limited to 
confusion, slurred speech, unconsciousness, vomiting, seizures, 
fatigue, elevated body temperature, fainting, dizziness, or 
muscle pain.
(2) The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 
over 700 heat-related deaths in the United States from 2004 to 
2018. Heat is the leading climate-related cause of deaths, and 
rising temperatures pose a serious risk to student athletes 
participating in outdoor sports.
(3) Jordan McNair, a highly accomplished high school 
football player from Maryland, received scholarship offers from 
many competitive university football programs. He chose to 
continue his athletic and academic career at the University of 
Maryland.
(4) On May 29, 2018, Jordan McNair collapsed during a 
workout on the University of Maryland's football field in the 
81 degrees Fahrenheit heat. McNair was suffering from 
exertional heatstroke and was unable to remain in an upright 
position without assistance from his teammates, medical staff, 
or coaching staff.
(5) Despite being a student athlete at a well-funded 
division I university, Jordan McNair received inadequate heat-
related illness treatment once he was escorted off the field 
and into the athletic training room. Because medical staff were 
unable to reverse McNair's core body temperature, the illness 
escalated to a seizure and respiratory distress.
(6) Most medical professionals advise patients to receive 
treatment within 30 minutes of initial heat illness symptoms. 
Over 90 minutes passed from the time McNair displayed initial 
symptoms of exertional heatstroke to the time he finally 
received adequate care from the nearest hospital.
(7) By the time Jordan McNair arrived at the hospital, his 
core body temperature had reached a life-threatening 
temperature of 106 degrees Fahrenheit.
(8) On June 13, 2018, two weeks after collapsing on the 
football field at practice, Jordan McNair died from symptoms of 
exertional heatstroke.
(9) Two extensive external investigations of the University 
of Maryland's football program concluded that the program's 
medical staff failed to promptly intervene, diagnose, and treat 
Jordan McNair's exertional heatstroke symptoms.
(10) According to an independent medical report, University 
staff failed to assess Jordan McNair's vitals, recognize and 
monitor heat-related illness symptoms, provide adequate cooling 
devices and respiratory aids, and generate an emergency plan to 
coordinate with emergency responders.
(11) The University of Maryland has taken significant steps 
to prevent and treat heat-related injuries among their student 
athletes, making cold water immersion tubs available at every 
practice and game, installing and maintaining readily 
accessible automatic defibrillators at every venue, increasing 
the training and reporting structure of athletic trainers, 
among other reforms in line with the priorities of this Act.
(12) The McNair family is devoted to honoring Jordan's 
legacy and founded the Jordan McNair Foundation, which provides 
an educational tool to help coaches, student athletes, and 
parents identify symptoms of heatstroke and heat-related 
illnesses.
(13) Heat-related illnesses and fatalities are preventable 
if caught early. Medical staff, coaches, and athletes must be 
knowledgeable of the warning signs for heat-related illness in 
order to protect student athletes from injury, and even death.

SEC. 3. VENUE-SPECIFIC HEAT-RELATED ILLNESSES EMERGENCY ACTION PLAN 
REQUIREMENT FOR INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION.

Section 485 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1092) is 
amended by inserting at the end the following new subsection:
``(n) Venue-Specific Heat-Related Illnesses Emergency Action 
Plan.--
``(1) In general.--Each institution of higher education 
that is participating in any program under this title and that 
is a member of an athletic association or athletic conference 
shall--
``(A) not later than 1 year after the date of 
enactment of this subsection and in consultation with 
local emergency responders, develop and implement a 
venue-specific heat-related illnesses emergency action 
plan, which shall include a plan for the operation and 
use of automatic external defibrillators and cold water 
immersion equipment; and
``(B) not later than 1 year after the date that 
such emergency action plan is first implemented, and on 
an annual basis thereafter, submit to the Secretary and 
authorizing committees a report that demonstrates 
compliance with the requirements of this subsection 
with respect to the preceding year.
``(2) Requirements.--An emergency action plan developed and 
implemented under paragraph (1), with respect to an institution 
of higher education, shall--
``(A) include a symptom identification structure 
and a coordination of care plan for student athletes 
exhibiting signs of heat-related illness, and be 
visibly posted in each--
``(i) locker room;
``(ii) athletic training facility;
``(iii) weight room; and
``(iv) outdoor sports complex and stadium;
``(B) be made available on the athletic program 
website or public website of the institution of higher 
education at the beginning of each academic year;
``(C) be distributed to local emergency responders; 
and
``(D) before the start of practical training for 
each academic year, be distributed to, and practiced 
in-person by all of the following individuals at the 
institution of higher education:
``(i) Student athletes.
``(ii) Certified athletic trainers.
``(iii) Team physicians.
``(iv) Athletic training students.
``(v) Athletic administrators.
``(vi) Coaches.
``(vii) Institutional safety personnel.
``(viii) Legal counsel.
``(3) Recommendations.--In developing an emergency action 
plan under paragraph (1), an institution of higher education 
shall consider--
``(A) including guidelines by the Wet-Bulb Globe 
Temperature index to assess environmental condition and 
heat stress prevention for student athletes;
``(B) having a readily accessible and properly 
maintained automatic external defibrillator within 3 
minutes of each sporting venue; and
``(C) including the locations of each automatic 
external defibrillator in such plan.
``(4) Authorized adjustments.--In the case of a facility 
described in paragraph (2)(A) that is undergoing a major 
physical alteration that would affect the implementation of a 
requirement of paragraph (2), such requirement may be adjusted 
with respect to such facility.''.

SEC. 4. VENUE-SPECIFIC HEAT-RELATED ILLNESSES EMERGENCY ACTION PLAN 
REQUIREMENT FOR SECONDARY SCHOOLS.

Subpart 2 of part F of title VIII of the Elementary and Secondary 
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7901 et seq.) is amended by adding at 
the end the following:

``SEC. 8549D. VENUE-SPECIFIC HEAT-RELATED ILLNESSES EMERGENCY ACTION 
PLAN REQUIREMENT FOR SECONDARY SCHOOLS.

``(a) In General.--As a condition of receipt of funds under this 
Act, each secondary school that has a student athletics program shall--
``(1) not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of 
this subsection and in consultation with local emergency 
responders, develop and implement a venue-specific heat-related 
illnesses emergency action plan, which shall include a plan for 
the operation and use of automatic external defibrillators and 
cold water immersion equipment; and
``(2) not later than 1 year after the date that such 
emergency action plan is first implemented, and on an annual 
basis thereafter, submit to the Secretary and authorizing 
committees a report that demonstrates compliance with the 
requirements of this subsection with respect to the preceding 
year.
``(b) Requirements.--An emergency action plan developed and 
implemented under subsection (a), with respect to a secondary school, 
shall--
``(1) include a symptom identification structure and a 
coordination of care plan for student athletes exhibiting signs 
of heat-related illness, and be visibly posted in each--
``(A) locker room;
``(B) athletic training facility;
``(C) weight room; and
``(D) outdoor sports complex and stadium;
``(2) be made available on the athletic program website or 
public website of the secondary school at the beginning of each 
academic year;
``(3) be distributed to local emergency responders; and
``(4) before the start of practical training for each 
academic year, be distributed to, and practiced in-person by 
all of the following individuals at the secondary school:
``(A) Student athletes.
``(B) Certified athletic trainers.
``(C) Team physicians.
``(D) Athletic training students.
``(E) Athletic administrators.
``(F) Coaches.
``(G) Institutional safety personnel.
``(H) Legal counsel.
``(I) Any other individuals determined to be 
relevant by the secondary school.
``(c) Recommendations.--In developing an emergency action plan 
under subsection (a), a secondary school shall consider--
``(1) including guidelines by the Wet-Bulb Globe 
Temperature index to assess environmental condition and heat 
stress prevention for student athletes;
``(2) having a readily accessible and properly maintained 
automatic external defibrillator within 3 minutes of each 
sporting venue; and
``(3) including the locations of each automatic external 
defibrillator in such plan.
``(d) Authorized Adjustments.--In the case of a facility described 
in subsection (b)(1) that is undergoing a major physical alteration 
that would affect the implementation of a requirement of subsection 
(b), such requirement may be adjusted with respect to such facility.''.

SEC. 5. PROMOTION OF FEDERAL GRANTS RELATED TO HEAT-RELATED ILLNESSES 
PREVENTION.

(a) In General.--The Secretary of Education shall inform secondary 
schools, local educational agencies, State educational agencies, and 
institutions of higher education about Federal funds available--
(1) to assist with preventing students and faculty from 
suffering from heat-related illnesses;
(2) to develop heat-related illness prevention training; 
and
(3) to acquire equipment for treating heat-related 
illnesses for students and faculty.
(b) ESEA Terms.--In this section, the terms ``institution of higher 
education'', ``local educational agency'', ``secondary school'', and 
``State educational agency'' have the meanings given those terms in 
section 8101 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 
U.S.C. 7801).
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