U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal is joining the effort to improve safety standards for children's athletic equipment.
"The fact that there have been no real changes in safety standards in over 30 years for children's athletic equipment, especially in a sport like football where athletes are prone to head injuries, is shocking, and must be remedied," Blumenthal said in a statement issued by his office.
"There is no greater fear for any parent than a child being seriously injured participating in athletics. And while we cannot prevent all injuries, this bill will ensure that as our children compete, they are using equipment that is proven to keep them safe."
Blumenthal, a freshman Democrat, frequently voiced concern about the impact of concussions on professional wrestlers during his hard-fought campaign against former World Wrestling Entertainment CEO Linda McMahon. He even brought to Hartford the father of a wrestler who killed himself and his family after suffering head injuries during performances.
Blumenthal has been under pressure from one prominent critic of the WWE, California-based writer Irv Muchnick, to take a higher profile role in the debate over how to combat head injuries in sports and professional wrestling.