The U.S. House of Representatives on Oct. 1 unanimously approved U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran’s (R-KS) bipartisan Empowering Olympic, Paralympic, and Amateur Athletes Act of 2020, which he introduced with cosponsor U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT). The bill now heads to the president’s desk to be signed into law.
“We are grateful to our colleagues in the House who advocated for this bill, and we look forward to the president signing this legislation into law to institute and enforce these reforms so all athletes can participate in the sport they love without fear of abuse,” Sen. Moran and his colleague said on Friday in a joint statement.
Sen. Moran in July 2019 sponsored S. 2330 following an 18-month investigation into systemic abuse within the U.S. Olympic movement, according to the lawmaker’s office.
“The very institutions charged with protecting these athletes failed countless times, choosing to ignore or cover up abuse rather than defend and protect athletes and survivors,” said Sens. Moran and Blumenthal. “Through the input and guidance of the courageous survivors – athletes who traveled to Washington, shared their stories and demanded change – we were able to advance this legislation through Congress.”
The bill will give athletes a seat at the decision-making table, and increase their representation on governing boards, committees and panels within National Governing Bodies (NBGs) and the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC) to help identify problematic policies and practices faster, while prioritizing athlete-centric solutions, according to a bill summary provided by Sen. Moran’s office.
Additionally, S. 2330 will strengthen resources for the U.S. Center for SafeSport while ensuring its independence from the USOPC and the NGBs; and will require SafeSport training to ensure athletes know how to identify abuse and adults know how to prevent it, among other provisions, according to the summary.
Among the lawmakers who signed on as cosponsors of S. 2330 were U.S. Sens. Joni Ernst (R-IA), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Martha McSally (R-AZ), Susan Collins (R-ME), and Cory Gardner (R-CO).
U.S. Reps. Ted Lieu (D-CA), Susan Brooks (R-IN) and Michael Burgess (R-TX) in July introduced the identical H.R. 7881 in their chamber.