California Governor Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill 708 into law, requiring youth tackle football leagues to allow participants to use safety equipment including soft-shelled add-ons to football helmets. The legislation, authored by Assemblymember Avelino Valencia (D-Anaheim), gives parents the ability to choose additional protective equipment for their children.
Soft-shelled helmet add-ons are already used at the collegiate and professional levels, including the NFL, according to Valencia. Newsom said the legislation "preserves Californian parents' right to choose how their kids play the game" in light of "new safety protocols and the increased research on the impacts of youth football."
The law builds on Newsom's youth football summit, which convened healthcare providers, football team administrators, parents, youth organizations, and current and former athletes. It also follows Assembly Bill 1, which Newsom signed in August 2019 to establish minimum safety standards for youth tackle football leagues.