IV

107TH CONGRESS

2D SESSION H. RES. 496

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that Major League

Baseball and the Major League Baseball Players Association should

implement a mandatory steroid testing program.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

JULY 22, 2002

Mrs. JOHNSON of Connecticut (for herself, Mr. OSBORNE, Mr. WATTS of

Oklahoma, Mr. KIND, Mr. SIMMONS, Mr. FOLEY, Mr. ISRAEL, Mr. CAMP,

Mr. HOLDEN, Mr. GEKAS, Mr. CULBERSON, Mr. MCINNIS, Mr. HOUGHTON, Mr. BOSWELL, Mr. BOEHLERT, Mr. CASTLE, and Ms. PRYCE of

Ohio) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce

JULY 22, 2002

Committee on Energy and Commerce discharged; which was considered under

suspension of the rules and agreed to

RESOLUTION

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that

Major League Baseball and the Major League Baseball

Players Association should implement a mandatory steroid testing program.

Whereas studies have shown an alarming increase in steroid

use among children, who may be modeling their behavior

after professional athletes;

Whereas one report said that steroid use by high school boys

was as high as 12 percent;
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•HRES 496 ATH

Whereas earlier this year, 2 retired Major League Baseball

players, each having been a Most Valuable Player, admitted to steroid use, unleashing a wave of articles about

rampant use throughout the league;

Whereas the stories have focused on the muscle-enhancing aspect of steroids, linking it to a surge in power hitting

among many players;

Whereas the Nation’s children are receiving the wrong message, namely that drug use is not only permissible, but

desirable if an individual wants to perform at his or her

best;

Whereas the truth is that steroids are dangerous and harmful

to an individual’s health and have no place in our national pastime or the lives of the Nation’s children;

Whereas other professional sports, notably football, basketball, and even the Olympics, already ban steroids, a dangerous drug that often causes liver damage, kidney failure, heart disease, and brain tumors;

Whereas although steroid use is illegal without a doctor’s prescription, the failure in Major League Baseball to test for

such use has led to speculation that steroids are widely

abused by many of today’s players;

Whereas professional baseball players have tremendous influence on children and therefore have an obligation to attempt to be good role models;

Whereas the question of rampant, systemic steroid abuse now

hangs over a game that the people of the United States

love; and

Whereas instituting mandatory steroid testing will send the

right message to the public, namely that Major League

Baseball is serious about banning steroids and will con-
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•HRES 496 ATH

tinually work to protect the integrity of the game: Now,

therefore, be it

1 Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Rep2 resentatives that—

3 (1) Major League Baseball and the Major

4 League Baseball Players Association should imple5 ment a mandatory steroid testing program; and

6 (2) such a program would send a clear message

7 to our Nation’s children that steroids are dangerous,

8 illegal, and morally offensive to our country’s com9 petitive spirit and one of our most cherished sports.

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