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Inserts a new subsection (n) into Section 485 of the Higher Education Act (20 U.S.C. 1092) establishing requirements for venue-specific heat-related illnesses emergency action plans for covered institutions of higher education.
Adds new section 8549D to Subpart 2 of part F of title VIII of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 establishing a venue-specific heat-related illnesses emergency action plan requirement for secondary schools with student athletics programs, including required contents, posting, distribution, training/practice, reporting to the Secretary and authorizing committees, recommendations, and an adjustment process for facilities undergoing major physical alterations.
This bill, called the Jordan McNair Student Athlete Heat Fatality Prevention Act, aims to prevent heat illness in school sports. It would require colleges with athletic programs and secondary schools that receive federal education funds to create a heat emergency plan for each sports venue within one year, then review and report on it every year . Each plan must explain how to use automatic external defibrillators (AEDs) and cold water immersion, be posted in locker rooms, training rooms, weight rooms, and outdoor fields, be shared with local emergency responders, and be practiced in person each year by athletes, trainers, coaches, and other key staff . Schools must also post the plan online at the start of each school year and send a yearly compliance report to the Education Department; limited adjustments are allowed if a facility is undergoing major renovations . The bill encourages using Wet-Bulb Globe Temperature guidelines and having an AED within three minutes of each sports venue. The Education Department would inform schools about federal funds for training, prevention, and equipment to treat heat illness. The bill is named in honor of Jordan McNair and responds to findings that heat is a leading climate-related cause of death and a serious risk for student athletes.
Key points
Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce.
Introduced July 17, 2025 by Kweisi Mfume · Last progress July 17, 2025
Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce.
Introduced in House