36 U.S.C. § 220501: Short title and definitions

This chapter may be cited as the “Ted Stevens Olympic and Amateur Sports Act”. “amateur athlete” means an athlete who meets the eligibility standards established by the national governing body or paralympic sports organization for the sport in which the athlete competes. “amateur athletic competition” means a contest, game, meet, match, tournament, regatta, or other event in which amateur athletes compete. “amateur sports organization” means a not-for-profit corporation, association, or other group organized in the United States that sponsors or arranges an amateur athletic competition. is composed of, and elected by, amateur athletes to ensure communication between the corporation and currently active amateur athletes; and serves as a source of amateur-athlete opinion and advice with respect to policies and proposed policies of the corporation. “Center” means the United States Center for SafeSport designated under section 220541. “child abuse” has the meaning given the term in section 212 of the Victims of Child Abuse Act of 1990 ( 34 U.S.C. 20302 ). “corporation” means the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee. “international amateur athletic competition” means an amateur athletic competition between one or more athletes representing the United States, individually or as a team, and one or more athletes representing a foreign country. “national governing body” means an amateur sports organization, a high-performance management organization, or a paralympic sports organization that is certified by the corporation under section 220521. “protected individual” means any amateur athlete, coach, trainer, manager, administrator, or official associated with the corporation or a national governing body. the Center; a coach, trainer, manager, administrator, or official associated with the corporation; the Attorney General; a Federal or State law enforcement authority; the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission; or Congress. “sanction” means a certificate of approval issued by a national governing body. The courageous voice of survivors is a call to action to end emotional, physical, and sexual abuse in the Olympic and Paralympic movement. Larry Nassar, the former national team doctor for USA Gymnastics, sexually abused over 300 athletes for over two decades because of ineffective oversight by USA Gymnastics and the United States Olympic Committee. While the case of Larry Nassar is unprecedented in scale, the case is hardly the only recent incident of sexual abuse in amateur sports. Survivors of Larry Nassar’s abuse and all survivors of abuse in the Olympic and Paralympic movement deserve justice and redress for the wrongs the survivors have suffered. After a comprehensive congressional investigation, including interviews and statements from survivors, former and current organization officials, law enforcement, and advocates, Congress found that the United States Olympic Committee and USA Gymnastics fundamentally failed to uphold their existing statutory purposes and duty to protect amateur athletes from sexual, emotional, or physical abuse. USA Gymnastics and the United States Olympic Committee knowingly concealed abuse by Larry Nassar, leading to the abuse of dozens of additional amateur athletes during the period beginning in the summer of 2015 and ending in September 2016. Ending abuse in the Olympic and Paralympic movement requires enhanced oversight to ensure that the Olympic and Paralympic movement does more to serve athletes and protect their voice and safety.”