Assembly Standing Committee on Arts, Entertainment, Sports, and Tourism

Want to say good morning to each and every one of you. We're going to wait for a few of my colleagues to join us so we can establish a quorum. So if you can give us a few moments and Members who are assigned to the Committee on Arts, Entertainment, Sports and Tourism, if you can, please report to room 127 so we can begin and establish a quorum. Thank you very much.

Want to say good morning to each and every one of you who have joined us. Want to call this meeting, this hearing to order of the Assembly Arts and Entertainment and Sports and Tourism Committee to order in room 127 in the State Capitol. Before we get started, I would like to cover a few housekeeping items for your edification, just for the process and the flow of the Committee hearing. For today's hearing, we will only accept in person testimony and witnesses in support and witnesses in opposition.

The bill being presented today will have a maximum of two primary witnesses in support and two primary witnesses in opposition, with a limit of two minutes per person. So a total of four minutes in support and four minutes in opposition. Certainly the presenter, the author of the bill, have as much time as he needs to present his bill.

After we have heard from the primary witness, Members of the public who are in the meeting room will be given an opportunity to state their name, the organization in which they represent their position on this particular bill. So don't have to go a long list of your bio, just state your name and whether you support the bill or not. Any additional comments will be ruled out of order. Anyone acting inappropriately or disrespectfully towards the participants of this hearing room will be asked to leave.

I also want to note that the Committee accepts written testimonies through the position letter portal on the Committee's website. For your edification, that website is aart.assembly.ca.gov. Once again, it's Alpha Alpha Robert Tom dot Assembly dot Ca dot Gov. Again, once we have sufficient enough Members, we will begin to start this hearing. And if we don't, we will start as a subcommittee in order to move the agenda before this body forward. So I spoke to Madam Secretary. We don't have a quorum, but we will be able to start right now as a subcommittee.

We notice that Mr. McCarty is here. Thank you very much, Assembly Member McCarty. We want to have you an opportunity to speak on file item number one, Assembly Bill 734, youth tackling tackle football. And then we will move to your two witnesses. And again, we've already went over the two minutes each, and then we'll do the same thing for those who wish to speak in opposition. So, Mr. McCarty, when you're ready, please proceed.

Thank you. Thank you. Chairman Gibson, I know this is your new assignment, chairing this Committee. Hot seat on day one. I appreciate you taking the time to work with us the last few weeks. And I also want to thank our outstanding Committee consultant who laid out the issue in the analysis, the latest facts and research from both sides, as well as held a really informative, informational hearing this Fall, which led us to where we are today.

So with you, I will be taking your proposed Committee amendments, which we will outline, which will phase in implementation of this and grandfather existing kids playing youth tackle football. Let me start by saying that this is about a football bill. It's about kids. It's about young kids. And to start with football, I'm not anti football. I love football. I grew up here in Sacramento, 5 miles from here, playing Pop Warner football, flag football. My brother played and I got out of football, went to baseball.

That was my sport. My brother played high school football, played in college. My nephew played high level college football. High school football finished a year ago. So we are a football family. But two things can be true. You can love football, and I do love, I'm sorry, Ms. McKinnor. I love my 49ers, and hopefully after 29 years, they're going to come back and win a Super Bowl ring this year.

So you can love football and love our kids and try to protect our kids at the same time. And after many years of looking at this issue, I believe the time is now that we further protect our kids and set minimum age requirements for kids to play youth tackle football. So this bill is very simple.

It sets a standard that kids be 12 years old before they start playing tackle football, because kids only have one brain, only have one life, and there's irreversible damage to kids brains that is totally unnecessary. And you can wait. There's other alternatives for young kids, other sports, other football activities like flag football, which the NFL is heavily investing in all of our communities. So there's a way to love football and protect our kids.

We've come to realize in the last few years that there's no real safe way to play tackle football. There's no safe blow to the head for a 6, 7, 8 year old. A 5, 6, 7, 8, 11 year old should not be experiencing hundreds of subconcussive hits to the head on an annual basis when there is an alternative. Years ago, I was in this Committee with Dr. Omalu after the movie Concussion to set concussion standards.

I thought that was the issue, but realized, no, it's these subconcussive hits that really are the things that cause CTE. And research after research and from our witnesses will articulate this. There are other contact sports that have set minimum age requirements. Lacrosse, soccer, hockey, for standards. Football is the only one that doesn't have this minimum age requirements for contact. I know people are saying, well, it's the helmets. Well, just like the bumpers don't solve problems with car collisions, the helmets solve issues with skull cracking.

But what about inside the skull? Remember, the brain is floating in water, and so the helmet protects the head from getting smacked and bleeding and broken. But the brain bounces off that soft tissue. And young kids, just like Shaking Baby Syndrome, are most susceptible and at risk. So you may ask the question. I'll get to my witnesses and I will have some debate. What's changed? Why now? Where is the smoking gun like we saw with tobacco 30 years ago?

Well, a lot has changed in the last few years on this. Number one parents, by the way, are voting with their feet. They're going from tackle for young kids to flat because they know there's a safe alternative and kids can wait. We know that NFL legends are saying it can wait. Hall of famers like Warren Sapp, Brett Favre, Niner great Randy Cross are saying, you know what? It can wait. They can wait till they get to high school before they start banging their heads.

You don't have to be a Pop Warner legend to get in the NFL and be a hero, you know, California's own Tom Brady with his seven Super Bowl rings. He didn't start playing until he was in high school. So it can wait. The NFL are investing heavily in flag leagues all across the state, in our communities. Every community that has a Pop Warner tackle league program in Sacramento, we went and researched.

They have flag programs right there, readily available, many times much cheaper and available as well. What else has happened? Medical groups have stepped up and said it's time. In the analysis, we talk about the American Academy for Pediatrics, talks about the link between CTE, the brain and youth tackle football, and they recommend it can wait. We're going to hear from our witnesses from the California Neurological Society, the California Family Doctors Association have came out in support of this bill.

But what's really changed to me, honestly, is the stories we've heard. We heard a decade ago about the legend. Junior Seau, San Diegan, California legend, San Diego USC grad, San Diego Charger, Super Bowl hero, community icon. He was having problems, mental health breakdowns. He knew something was wrong with him. He committed suicide. We remember how he committed suicide. He shot himself in the heart because he wanted his brain to be studied. Dave Duerson Chicago Bear legend same thing.

Shot himself in the heart because he wanted his family to study his brain. Countless NFL legends have done the same thing. The thing that's most haunting to me is a story of 18 year old Wyatt Bramwell. 18 year old was on the phone talking to his parents, driving his car. Said, something is wrong. I can't continue like this. I want you to study my brain. On the phone.

Pulled over the car, put down his phone, took out a gun, shot himself in the heart so they could study his brain. And they found that he started playing football at an early age and he had more damage to his brain than Junior Seau. So the research shows just like smoking, the earlier you start smoking, the more damage you're going to have to your body. Same thing with tackle football. The brains are still developing.

The earlier you start participating in this activity, the more at risk you put yourself. CDC finds that playing tackle football you have 23 times more high magnitude hits as young kids than flag. The National Institute for Health has identified CTE as the cause. It's caused by repeated traumatic brain injuries, including concussions and subconcussive hits. And repeatedly hits are greatest from sports like youth tackle football. Again, Boston University is finding teens with CTE in their brains and focusing on the years that they participated.

Again, helmets and safety measures like the measure that we heard from, will hear from and we voted on a few years ago, this Legislature AB 1 by our sheriff who cares about youth sports just like I do, can protect youth tackle football programs. But for 12 and up. For under 12, I think it's time that we protect kids brains and focus on their future. And with that, Mr. Chair and Committee Members respectfully ask for your aye vote and look forward to the conversations. I'd like to introduce my witnesses.

Thank you very much, Mr. Mccarthy. Before we do that, we want to establish a quorum. Madam Secretary, please call the roll.

[Roll Call}

A quorum has been established, so your witness can proceed. You have two minutes. Please state your name and then proceed with your presentation. Thank you.

Legarda. Pediatric neurologist practicing in Monterey and current President of the California Neurology Society. It is my honor to represent our specialty, as sponsor of Assembly Bill 734. Last fall, it was my privilege to provide testimony before this Committee on the subject of youth tackle football and the developing brain. The source data provided to Committee offers significant insights for policymakers regarding the unnecessary risks faced by nearly 4 million young children who engage in tackle football each year, causing potential irreparable harm to their still developing brains.

Last week, you were provided a scientific report published October 2023 on 152 deceased contact sports athletes under the age of 30. All were diagnosed in life with traumatic encephalopathy syndrome. CTE was diagnosed in 63. The other brains revealed traumatic brain injury or TBI related abnormalities not meeting CTE criteria. CTE was diagnosed in athletes who played a mean of three years longer than athletes whose brain findings did not meet CTE criteria. Causes of death were, number one, suicide number two, unintentional overdose. , regardless of autopsy findings. The author, a neuropathologist, highlights that CTE is also detectable in the brains of amateur contact sports players, not just professional players.

Findings from this study gained media coverage in the New York Times article that Mr. McCarty referred to, in which poignant real life testimony from a deceased teenage athlete recording a farewell video to his parents explaining his suicide, urging his parents to donate his brain to science and he firmly believed he had brain damage as a result of playing tackle football and autopsy findings indeed confirmed he had CTE at the age of 18.

Other parents of deceased athletes with CTE share their witness to the challenges their children faced before their untimely deaths. This wealth of data is straightforward. Revelations published in the New York Times expose are glaringly apparent. While the medical data seems complex, study results are convincingly clear. The medical and scientific communities unanimously agree that repetitive head impacts, regardless of impact severity, lay the foundation for brain injury. Autopsy findings of TBI and CTE align with a diagnosis during life of traumatic encephalopathy syndrome.

Our focus, therefore, should be on preventing traumatic encephalopathy syndrome, a diagnosis in life that arises from the accumulation of repeated, sometimes seemingly mild head trauma, often too easily dismissed by coaches parents, and simply shaken off by the players themselves. Assembly Bill 734 represents a significant step towards mitigating the accrual of such trauma. It will serve to educate and inform the public, our educational institutions, and help safeguard our youth from the burden of daily struggles with cognitive and mental health issues.

When the NFL takes measures to protect its players by playing flag football in the Pro Bowl, it is not just safeguarding its multimillion investments. It delivers the clear message that impact injuries and cumulative head trauma are perilous and should be minimized. Other youth contact sports organizations have already made mitigating decisions to safeguard their young athletes. I want to underscore the data is clear and unambiguous. For young children, especially, accumulated blows to the head of any magnitude must be prevented.

With your help, AB 734 will be the starting point. I look forward to your questions as you allow to.

Thank you very much. Next witness. You have two minutes.

Good morning. I'm Dr. D. Pulane Lucas. I'm from Oakland, but currently reside in Richmond, Virginia. I hold a PhD in Health Policy and am President and CEO of Policy Pathways Incorporated. But I am here today because I am the mother of Stanley Wilson, Jr. Who died on February 1 2023 at the age of 40. He was diagnosed with CTE, caused by playing football for 12 years.

The American tradition of youth football must be played in a manner that enriches and not destroys the brains and lives of our children. That means playing flag football. CTE risk increases by as much as 30% per year for tackle football players. That's unacceptable for children. AB 734 decreases CTE risks by reducing the number of years children play tackle football, and it prioritizes their safety and well being. My son Stanley seemed to live the American dream.

He excelled in football in middle school and high school in LA, at Stanford University, and played three seasons in the NFL. Stanley was courageous, had a sense of humor, strong faith in God, love for family. He greeted each day resilient, with optimism, purpose and drive. Then Stanley changed. I supported my adult son as he suffered with mental illness, drug addiction, suicidal thoughts, and self destructive behavior that ultimately resulted in his incarceration.

He spent the final months of his life in the custody of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, where he died under suspicious circumstances. Stanley was not able to avoid the devastating impacts of CTE. For athletes with CTE, their brains become so damaged that the voices in their heads are telling them to kill themselves. And they struggle with those voices every day to stay alive one more day.

This bill will help families protect the youngest athletes and reduce the pain, suffering and loss that burdens families like mine impacted by CTE. Thank you for allowing me to speak for Stanley.

Thank you very much and we're sorry for your loss. Next, we'll have individuals who wish to speak in support of Assembly Bill 734. If you can please line up again, I just want to reiterate, if you could just please state your name or your organization and that you support or oppose. That's the only testimony that we will be receiving here on this bill.

Good morning. My name is Steve Katal, the California Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Association. They're the pain management physicians, as well as the independent physical therapists of California in strong support.

Thank you very much. Next witness. In support. Name, organization. That's it. Okay, thank you very much. Now we'll invite those. Now we'll bring it back to the Committee if the Committee has any questions for the author or the presenters in support of 734, Ms. McKinnor.

So we're not asking to stop football, just tackling. They could still play flag football. I just want to be clear on that.

Yes, and I'm not sure if you were here. We took some amendments, so I know there's some young kids here. I'm sure they love playing tackle football. So they would be able to continue playing tackle until they age out. Maybe their little brothers and nephews when they want to start. They would be playing flag until they're 12 years old.

Any additional questions from the Committee Members? Hearing and seeing none. Okay, so at this time we will ask those two key witnesses to come to the table in opposition of 734. Would you please come and have a seat at the table. So whoever's going first, you could please state your name, organization. Then proceed two minutes.

Thank you. Thank you. I appreciate it. Chair, appreciate your time, Committee Members. I'm going to share a few brief remarks and I'm certainly can take questions if you have any at that time. Good morning, Committee Members and esteemed guests. My name is Ron White and I am the President of the California Youth Football Alliance. The alliance represents hundreds of youth tackle football organizations encompassing thousands of youth tackle football participants statewide. We respectfully come before you today in absolute firm opposition to Assembly Bill 734.

Over the past six years, the California Youth Football Alliance, the Save Youth Football Coalition, countless youth football organizations and the families they serve. Thank you for being here today, have continued to stand up against what we collectively know to be an unwarranted, discriminatory attempt to ban youth tackle football in the state while trampling parental rights along the way. AB 34 alienates constituents.

It attempts to unravel the work of the California Legislature via Assembly Bill AB 1 that you'll hear more about today, the California Youth Football act authored by current Sacramento Sheriff and former California Assembly Member Jim Cooper. During today's proceedings, and this is extremely key, you will hear medical opinions offered by the author and those testifying in support of AB 734. It's important to note the following. Those opinions are not unilaterally shared by the medical community. That's a fact.

You can point to the bill's analysis that will outline that in detail. We have provided multiple comprehensive studies that demonstrate vastly different outcomes as both science and youth tackle football are constantly evolving. And I would point to AB 1 as a reference to that. I'm not a Legislator, I'm not a PhD, but I know the following. It is vital when informing public policy with significant risk of unintended negative outcomes, that you have a clear clinical eye in this process. That is our collective duty as Californians.

As stated by the authors medical panelists, during the informational hearing that I had the pleasure of testifying in, and I quote, science cannot tell us the right age to play youth tackle football, unquote. That happened here at the Capitol.

Respectfully, as Californians and as you all, as Committee Members who are tasked with this today, we should be using vital California resources to uplift and rally around the California Youth Football Act. With the help and continued wisdom of the California Legislator, we have a real opportunity to drive AB 1 as the most comprehensive piece of legislative safety measure in the country. We ask you today to stand up with Californians with a vote of no. Thank you.

Thank you very much. Next witness. I want to recognize my former colleague, Assembly Member Jim Cooper, now Sheriff Cooper. Thank you very much for being here and testifying.

Good morning, Mr. Chair Members. Good to see you all. Youth sports is an issue that is near and dear to my heart. I raise children who grew up benefiting from the life lessons that youth sports provides. As an Assemblyman, I wrote Assembly Bill 1, which ensured youth tackle football programs in California are the safest in the country and was landmarked legislation. As sheriff, my office is extremely involved in youth sports programs throughout the county.

The safety and well being of youth will always be my top priority. The confidence, mental wellbeing, and life skills fostered through this sport, particularly within the underserved communities, are immeasurable. For some adolescents, youth tackle football serves as their sole source of structure, offering positive role models and guiding them toward a positive and productive path. I personally witnessed numerous individuals from underserved communities attribute their success later in life to the tools gained through youth tackle football.

I understand the pivotal role youth activities play in keeping children away from the streets and from gangs. Notably, black male children engage in youth tackle football at higher rates than any other race. To my knowledge, there's been no pressure to limit participation in lacrosse, soccer, or ice hockey, which all have concussion rates similar to youth tackle football but are prevalent in more affluent and exclusive communities. The life lessons acquired through youth tackle football are immeasurable.

It is a community, its safety, its family, its mentorship, it saves lives, especially for our underserved communities. For many of these participants, tackle football may be the only place where there is structure. Eliminating youth tackle football will also increase risk of injury to young adults who choose to play after they turn 13. Introducing proper form and technique in youth tackle football, especially at an early age when players exhibit less speed and force, is instrumental in preventing concussions during the mid and late teenage years.

Like any other sport, the choice of whether or not a child should be allowed to participate in a sport should come down to the child and their parents. We should be pouring resources into our communities instead of ripping away one more thing. Flag football. I was mentioned here, flag football practices an hour before they game. They practice 1 hour a week. Obviously, with youth football, you're three to five days a week, and it's not always hitting. That was the essence of AB 5.

I'm sorry, AB 1 the legislation. With that, you think about soccer. You can play soccer at four years of age. You can play lacrosse at eight. They have under eight. So these same leagues, same issues, same problems. And it really comes down to, and we know, we've seen the numbers of kids, especially minority kids, that are involved in gangs, that are involved in drugs. There are two things. It's discipline, it's mentorship, having a father figure there. A lot of these kids don't have a father.

So you're out there with coaching, getting that father figure, and that's what changes it in law enforcement. We've got to change it. These kids come from underperforming schools, poor neighborhoods, and that is one thing in their life that they have to look forward to, and that can possibly change them.

It is a big issue, and it is a matter of life and death on the other side, because so many of these kids, and especially being a law enforcement 31 years, choose gangs, choose drugs, those negative influences, we have a chance here. Like I said, AB 1 is, what, three years old now at that. So really it's taking effect. Now. We haven't talked about that, so I think the bill was put in place. Mr. McCarty, Sue McCarty, he loves children 100%. He's not against children.

I know that for a fact. He cares about it. But I think we could do better. AB 1 is still working its way through, and it's three years, and here we are changing it. So I respectfully urge your no vote on this item.

Thank you very much, Sheriff Cooper, for your testimony. Appreciate all the witnesses. At this time, we want to invite the public to come to the microphone in opposition of Assembly Bill 734 again want to ask you to please state your name. The name of the organization. If you're representing an organization and that you are opposed, this testimony is for opposition. And so we also have people on the outside that wishing to get in.

So our sergeants will have you and direct you out the door so that others can come in the door and to give their testimony as well. So please state your name and organization.

Steve Famiano, Save Youth Football California Coalition. No on AB 734. Thank you.

Thank you.

Jay Earhart, the retired sheriff of El Dorado County. I am the Commissioner of the Sacramento Youth Football League. Representing over 9,300 families ranging from Venetia to the Oregon border. I rise in opposition to this bill.

Thank you. My name is Aaron Berkvatz. I'm from Bishop, California. I represent Bishop Youth Football and Cheerleading. I'm the President and I am a no on AB 734. Thank you.

My name is Joseph Trammell. I'm the Commissioner of the Sierra Athletic Conference in the greater Sacramento area. Represent 2500 plus families in area. And we're strongly opposed to AB 734.

Thank you.

My name is Dan Denelli. I'm a coach for El Dorado Hills Oak Ridge Junior Trojans program where my son plays. Strong opposition to McCarty's bill.

Thank you.

Nicole Young, Placer County chapter chair of Moms For Liberty. Also the California Coalition Legislative Chair for Moms for Liberty California in strong opposition.

Thank you.

Hi, my name is Ashley Bertram. I am a board member of Union Mine Junior Rattlers. My children have played for oldest nine years now. I've been teen mom for every team. And I have a seven year old here and we are strongly against AB 734.

Thank you very much. Just your name organization.

Hi, my name is Erica Tyler and this is my son Bear Tyler. We are with the Union Mine Junior Rattlers and we would like to voice our opposition to this bill.

Thank you.

Hi, my name is Danielle Sellers and I am a mother of two sons who play football. I am an adapted PE specialist in State of California of 30 years and I am vice president of the Twelve Bridges Junior Rhinos Football and Cheer Program. And we strongly oppose this bill.

Thank you very much.

My name is Perry Sellers and I play for the Twelve Bridges Junior Rhinos and I oppose.

Thank you.

Hi. My name is Blake Roland and I oppose AB 734. And I play for the Junior Rhinos.

Thank you.

David Haller. I represent the Lincoln's Junior Zebras and we oppose AB 734.

Thank you.

Hello. My name is Christine Casner and I oppose AB 734. I am a Chair, football nana, for the Junior Lincoln Zebras.

Thank you.

Go Zebras.

My name is Ashley Sinclair and I am a proud parent of two Junior Bruin football players and I oppose this bill.

Thank you.

My name is Darren Stahl. I'm a Member of SCIU Local 1000 District Labor Council 761, and I am an independent organizer for the DLC. I'm also a longtime high school football coach, youth football coach, and youth flag football coach. I urge a no vote on this bill as it does not send a good message to support parent rights. Thank you.

Thank you.

Good morning. Brian Boice, Bear River Junior Bruins in Grass Valley. I oppose this bill.

Thank you.

I'm Sam Boice. I play for Bear River Junior Bruins and I strongly oppose this bill.

Thank you.

Jake Brock. I play for Bear River Junior Bruins. I oppose this bill.

Thank you.

Hello. My name is Zac Repka. I've been a board member and a coach for the Yuba City Junior Honkers for the last three years and I'm here to urge opposition to this bill. Thank you.

Thank you very much.

My name is David Sinclair, Bear River Junior Bruins coach, several kids in the program. Someone whose football has saved my life on several occasions. I oppose this bill because it single handedly excludes kids whose mommies and daddies didn't have the ability to go to Whole Foods to feed them healthy, so they carry extra pounds and they get to be linemen. Only sport that's available.

Thank you very much. Name and organization, please.

I am Jack Sinclair and I play for Bear Virginia Bruins and I oppose this bill.

Thank you very much. We'll invite those who are outside inside for their testimony. Name and organization.

My name is Grayson Sinclair. I'm a Bear Virginia Bruin and SYF all-star. I oppose this bill.

Thank you.

My name is Ashley Smallridge. I'm with Wood Creek Junior Timberwolves. I'm the president. I'm also a cheer mom. Don't have a football player, but I oppose.

Thank you.

Good evening, Committee. My name is Dr. Ross. I am here representing American Youth Football, the largest youth football organization in the world. And I oppose this bill tremendously.

Thank you very much. Name and organization.

Hi. My name is Juli Casillas. I'm with the Wood Creek Junior Timberwolves and I oppose.

Thank you.

My name is Asia Grant with Rio Linda Junior Knights and I oppose.

Thank you.

My name is Bennett Starbuck. I'm from the Twelve Bridges Junior Rhinos and I oppose.

Thank you.

Hi. My name is Riley Hurley from the Junior Rhinos and I oppose.

Thank you.

My name is Devin Hurley from the Twelve Bridges Junior Rhinos and I oppose.

Thank you.

My name is Lily Hurley from the Twelve Bridges Junior Rhinos and I oppose.

Thank you.

My name is Mason Starbuck from the Junior Rhinos and I oppose.

Thank you.

Hi. My name is Jason Blake. I played football for eight years and I strongly oppose.

Thank you. Name, organization, if you're representing organization, and position.

Sophie Tenaglia, Granite Bay Junior Grizzlies, and we oppose.

Thank you. Next witness. Yes

Hi. Casey Eaton, Granite Bay Grizzlies, and we oppose.

Thank you.

Thank you for letting us say hello this morning. My name is Andrew Tenaglia. I'm the president of the Granite Bay Junior Grizzly program. I hope that you will strongly consider not reducing this. I think the benefits outweigh significantly the risks and not with discounting them.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

How are you guys doing? My name is Lorenzo Walsh and I'm with the Cosumnes Oaks Junior Wolfpack, and I'm opposed.

Thank you very much.

Hi, my name is JJ Dieson. I run the NYFL of about 3500 kids and the Great Iron Bulldogs of about 300 kids. So I oppose the ban.

Thank you very much.

My name is Bear Tyler and I play for the Junior Rattlers. And I oppose this Bill.

Thank you.

This is Cyrus Allen and my name is Maggie Allen and we oppose the bill. We play for Bear River Junior Bruins in Grass Valley.

Thank you.

Mike Allen, coach at Bear River. That was my son and I opposed this bill as well.

Thank you very much.

I think I'll close this out. Ron White, the California Youth Football Alliance. Also Golden Empire Youth Football in the Central Valley. Once again, thank you for your time. And we strongly oppose AB 730.

Thank you very much.

Char Rupaul, Granite Bay Grizzly program. I strongly oppose this bill. Thank you.

Thank you very much. That's it. Okay. Thank you very much. Next, we'll bring it back to the committee for any questions of the author of the bill at this time. Yes, Mr. Lackey, please.

Yeah, thank you. I don't really have questions. I have more. Just some comments that I think are worth considering. Assemblymember, while I'm pleased to have an increased opportunity to work more closely with you this year when it comes to this particular issue, we probably couldn't be further apart. In communities that I grew up in and that I currently represent, tackle football is not merely an American pastime. It's a central occurrence that ties close-knit communities together and integrates the surrounding areas.

In sports, the outcome is predominantly determined by merit and training, which makes other advantages and disadvantages in life fall by the wayside during these competitions. The parents and coaches involved in these sports love the children participating in them, and that's why they want the responsibility to teach them about mentorship, teamwork, discipline, and their self-image. I trust them to know what is in the best interests of their children while helping them pursue their passion, few of which come with no risk.

I've participated in flag football and I've participated in tackle football. They're different. They're not the same. If we ban this sport, we take away the opportunity and many opportunities from children to grow not only as an athlete but as a self-actualized adult who knows that when they have the capabilities to overcome an obstacle and achieve success further, we take away a lifelong passion for the love of the game. Some good things have happened in the recent past, and I don't dismiss the concern.

CTE is real and it's something that we should take seriously and we should adapt our behaviors. And I think AB 1, which was sponsored by Assemblymember Cooper, who spoke earlier, is a good progress towards that. We even have it at the NFL where targeting is no longer permissible. So we're moving in the right direction. But to throw the baby out with the bathwater, as they say, or what we're doing here is we're robbing youth of way more than risk when we do this. And for that reason, I cannot support this measure.

Thank you very much. I don't know if Mr. McCarty want to respond or say anything regarding that. Any other members wishing. Vice Chair Wallis.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. This is a tough one for me. We have so much information and passion from both sides on this issue, and I really appreciate the author's work on his bill and shedding light on issues related to risks of youth head injuries. I played Pop Warner football from starting at the age of eight, played football through high school and it really was an important part of my personal development.

This bill actually gave me the chance to reach out to my old high school coach, talked to him about it at length and he know Greg, it's a different sport than when you played. He told me the emphasis is on safety today at all levels, from youth to the NFL, and talked about different strategies they use when teaching kids how to tackle and play the game. I also thought about the potential harm kids face every day. Skateboarding, hockey, skiing, bicycling, ice skating.

Every sport or activity has an inherent danger and I can support things like requiring training for adults coaching the sport, helmet rules, and equipment modifications. But this bill eventually leads to an outright ban for tackle football for kids under the age of 12. Just singling out that one sport. I'm also persuaded by the arguments made by opponents about the importance of the lessons learned about physical and mental health and teamwork, particularly for kids in underserved communities.

Clearly, there's merits to both sides of this debate, and again commend the author for his passion on this issue. For that alone, I wish I could support it. However, I'm going to be a no today. We should continue to be vigilant on issues about youth safety without signaling out just one activity. But really, thank you for bringing this forward.

Thank you very much. Any additional comments from my colleagues, please? Assemblymember Valencia.

Thank you Mr. Chair. I'll prefix my comments with a little bit of my experience, and I'm coming at this particular issue through the lens and experience of a football fanatic, a student of the game, a former junior college football coach, and division one football player. I'm torn when it comes to this specific issue. The benefit that football has had in particular to my life, I cannot put a monetary amount on it.

And I think that goes to say for many, many athletes across the State of California. The challenge with that, though, is what the data has shown and the physical impact that this sport has on the development of young people. I appreciate our colleagues' comments when it comes to the safety measures that have been implemented to ensure that we're moving in a safer direction when it comes to tackle football.

Yet whether it's at the NFL level, the division one level or even high school practices are now being held in a less physical manner, whether it's in shells, whether it's walkthroughs, or even summer leagues having flag football. And there's only one answer to that reason and question. It's because it is a very dangerous and violent sport. There's no ifs, ands, or buts about that. That's not to say individuals should not have the opportunity to play that sport.

I had the opportunity to go back to San Jose State, where I played football this last year. Then I was standing on the sideline. I'm 34 now, and thinking back to 12 years ago when I was on that field, I could not fathom stepping on that football field today. And of course, it's a much higher level. But the impact and the speed and the physical demand that that sport takes is extremely impactful.

And we now know through the science the impact that that type of physicality has on people long term. And I can't with a conscious heart say and deny that the data that we see here today and have seen over the last couple of years is not warranted. So I think the phased approach and the ability to continue to play football at a young age through flag football is not an ideal approach.

It's not the perfect approach, but I think it's the best approach to ensure that young individuals in California have a chance to play at the high school level and not have their careers cut short. Technique is much different than athleticism. Technique can be taught. And some of the arguments made here about the development in athleticism through tackling, I frankly disagree. And because of that, I will be supportive of the bill today. Thank you.

Thank you very much. Any other committee members wishing to say anything? Great. Okay, I want to ask the author a question. Can you please articulate one, what this bill actually does for the edifications of those who've spoken as witnesses? Because there seems to be some confusion in terms of doing away with football for our youth. That's one question. Then the second question I would also have for you, if you can articulate for us, why did you come to the conclusion that you've come to bring Assembly Bill 734 before this committee.

Sure. I'll try to be concise, and I know there's some other issues here, too. What this bill does is sets rules for young kids playing football, just like we have for soccer. Says you can't head before a certain age in California. In hockey, you can't check before a certain age. It says, for our youngest kids, you can play football, flag under 12, over 12, you can start having contact to protect kids' brains.

It sets a standard that going forward after five years, I believe the committee amendments, it would be phased in so current kids that we saw here testify, we will not take away what they currently play, but going forward, because of the research, our youngest kids would start playing football at a younger age, a flag, and then be able to graduate at the age of 12 once they reach puberty and their bodies and brains are more developed to play youth tackle football.

We would still have the same rules under AB 1, which I think are positive in California, to set the number of hours you practice to have more athletic trainers and professionalism in the sport. Those would be the rules of the road for kids 12 and over playing youth tackle football. And I think your other question, why is that every year more and more research comes out? More and more families and tragedies share these stories, and this is a tough decision.

I have tremendous amount of respect for my colleague from Anaheim who grappled with this for months. He played at the highest level. He didn't quite say he actually played in the NFL for a summer. So no one else here has played in the NFL. This gentleman did, and he knows the impacts of this. And this is a tough choice, telling parents what they can and can't do. But every once in a while, government steps up and says, you know what? Kids shouldn't smoke.

Kids shouldn't have a firearm. Kids should wear seatbelts. When we know we protect kids. This is a tough one because there is no smoking gun of evidence like there was for tobacco. You only find out somebody has CTE when they're dead and their brain goes and gets an autopsy, which is why kids and players are committing suicide, shooting themselves in the heart so their brains can be evaluated. So that's the truth. Here we have medical providers who have different opinions.

But let me just tell you this. The tobacco lawyers and the tobacco doctors were paid because they had an interest. Of course the football doctors are going to say it's safe. But the doctors who don't represent anybody, who just study this, are testifying with me today, saying this doesn't make sense for our youngest kids. The California Family Doctors Association, the California Association of Neurology, they're saying this protects kids and human life.

And it does make sense every once in a while the government to step in and regulate. So for those reasons, and with appreciation on this is a very tough and complex issue to sometimes tell parents what they can and can't do. And look, I know these folks out here love kids, love youth sports. I've met with these two gentlemen over here for seven years now.

We don't agree on this, but we do agree that kids under 18 are 50% of the present, but 100% of the future. So we need kids to be healthy. We need kids to have alternatives. Like Cooper said, it matters. I grew up here in Sacramento in a single-parent family. Two of my brothers went to juvenile hall. I got lucky. I never got caught. I ended up being an Assembly member. What did I do to keep myself steady? Sports, after-school programs, baseball, football.

My brother was in wrestling. Activities kept us. So I believe in activities in youth sports and there is a safe alternative here. Kids can do that and play other sports and still have all the great things they learn about teamwork, competition and so forth. This is about saving kids and keeping kids safe. And I think that you focus on protection of human life and our future should be always at the forefront. And with that, respectfully ask for your aye vote.

Thank you very much and thank you for expanding on your response to me. Firstly, I would like to thank Assemblymember McCarty for bringing forward this issue before this committee. I know that he has worked on this bill related to youth tackling football on a number of times over the years. Clearly, football is one of the most popular sports statewide as well as throughout the entire United States of America.

It takes much courage to introduce an ideal that could be considered unpopular, especially when the goal is to protect the health and safety of our children engaged in sports. My heart goes out to the families of loved ones of former players who have developed CTE, especially the family members of those who have taken their own lives as a result of their condition. No parent should ever have to go through what those parents and this parent who testified about her son have to go through.

Parents deserve to have all the information before signing waivers and allowing their children to play a sport with a high degree of risk. They should hear from the author's perspective and the bill supporters before allowing or encouraging their kids to play football at an early age. Based on the information presented, I still have many questions about the risks associated with the youth tackling football.

The testimonies of this bill, supporters, and the data presented have been compelled to show different evidence that links children from five to 12 years old playing tackle football to CTE is still inconclusive. There is no way to know how many youth tackling football participants will go through and develop CTE. We also just don't know if there could be other factors at play here, such as genetics, bumps to the head off of the playing field. And I want to pause here.

We've seen even last year a young man who got hit in the head and everyone thought that he would survive and this young man passed away. The parents had to be told that, again, he was hit with a baseball bat. But I'm saying there are risk, and there is still a lot to be discovered when it comes down to not only football but other sports. That being said, football and organizational sports, in general, are clearly proven ways to keep kids out of trouble.

And let me underscore this, that someone who grew up in Watts, my daddy was a truck driver who worked continuously and my mother did domestic work. So when I got out of school, it was certainly after-school programs, and those after-school programs were, in fact, football, the sports that we're talking about today, baseball and alike. Volunteer parents, came there to making sure we had a safe space. We learned teamwork. We learned skill development and social skills. We learned discipline.

And that's what this bill is not taking away that ability. It's simply saying that we're going to move from tackle football to flag football, and we can still have the same learning experiences, same safe spaces as we do today. The committee passed Assembly Bill 1 by Mr. Cooper, Assemblymember Jim Cooper, in 2019 in order to improve athletes' safety.

But the effectiveness of those who are in this particular sport, in order to collect data and to have a better understanding, clearly more information and injuries reporting by youth, a football league, is absolutely needed. When you look at the NFL right now, they have put protocols in place to making sure that players are not injured, that they don't have to be suffering from CTE and other different things. But they're making a huge investment. And the investment, even in helmets, helmets cost somewhere about $5,000.

And I know that when you talk about community sports, that's expensive for communities and teams to afford. But the technology of helmets are protecting those athletes in the game of football. And I know that communities who are struggling to make ends meet, communities just don't have that ability and the cost and the money and the resources to do the same thing the NFL is now doing.

As the Chair of this committee, I believe this bill has merit and deserve to be discussed and debated by the full body on the floor of the State Assembly. And so if this bill is, in fact, passed out, this bill will go to the floor of the State Assembly. So this is not the last stage of this process. So if this bill is passed out today, it goes before the full body of the California State Assembly and members who represent your communities.

You can also reach out to those individuals by expressing your concern in support or opposition to this particular bill. The author has already accepted the committee's amendments, and we want to thank Mr. McCarty for accepting the committee amendments. At this time, I will entertain a motion. It's been moved by Assemblymember Santiago. Do I hear a second? Assemblymember Valencia, thank you very much for seconding the motion. This motion is a do pass, as amended, to the Assembly third reading. I would ask Madam Secretary, please open and call the roll.

Gipson.

Oh, I'm sorry. Before we do that, I must give the author an opportunity. He already closed. Thank you. Madam Secretary.

Gipson. Aye. Gipson, aye. Wallis. Wallis, no. Fong. Fong, aye. Lackey. Lackey, no. McKinnor. McKinnor, aye. Santiago. Santiago, aye. Valencia. Valencia, aye.

That bill is out five to two. Want to thank everyone for their testimony today, and this committee is adjourned. Thank you very much.