Senate approves bipartisan Moran bill to reform U.S. Olympic Committee

The U.S. Senate on Tuesday unanimously approved a sweeping, bipartisan Olympic reform bill sponsored by U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran (R-KS).

“Today’s Senate passage of our Olympic reform legislation marks a critical step towards providing effective safeguards and protections to Olympic, paralympic and amateur athletes pursuing the sports they love,” said Sen. Moran and lead bill cosponsor U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) in a joint statement. 

Sens. Moran and Blumenthal last July introduced the Empowering Olympic, Paralympic, and Amateur Athlete Act of 2019, S. 2330, following their 18-month investigation, which found that coaches and others within the Olympic movement were able to assault young athletes because of a lack of oversight, independence, and transparency and that the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) failed to protect its athletes from sexual abuse. 

“We could not have passed this bill in the Senate today without the input and guidance of the survivors — athletes who traveled to Washington countless times, shared their stories and demanded change,” the senators said. “While powerful institutions failed these survivors in the past, we aren’t going to.”

If enacted, S. 2330 would give athletes a seat at the decision-making table, and significantly increase their representation on governing boards, committees and panels within National Governing Bodies (NGBs) and the  USOPC to more quickly aid in identifying problematic policies and practices, while prioritizing athlete-centric solutions, according to a bill summary provided by Sen. Moran’s office.

Additionally, S. 2330 would increase funding for the U.S. Center for SafeSport and ensure its independence from the USOPC and the NGBs, while requiring SafeSport training that would allow athletes to identify abuse, according to the summary.

Among numerous other provisions, the bill also would bolster and codify reporting mandates for adults with knowledge of any allegation of child abuse of an amateur athlete and protect individuals who report emotional, physical or sexual abuse from retaliation within the Olympic movement, the summary says.

“We are grateful to our Senate colleagues who provided support and input leading up to today’s passage, and we look forward to working with our colleagues in the House of Representatives and the White House to get these critical reforms across the finish line,” Sens. Moran and Blumenthal said.

S. 2330 has 15 other cosponsors, including 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).

Companion legislation has been introduced by U.S. Reps. Susan Brooks (R-IN) and Ted Lieu (D-CA) in their chamber.