IV

105TH CONGRESS

2D SESSION H. RES. 481

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that professional sports

leagues and the International Olympic Committee should help reinforce

the unacceptability and harmfulness of illegal drug use by establishing

clear guidelines and penalties, and that athletes using illegal drugs who

do not identify the person who provided the illegal drugs and successfully

complete a drug treatment program should be suspended from play

for a minimum of one year without pay.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

JUNE 19, 1998

Mr. WATTS of Oklahoma (for himself, Mr. BUNNING, and Mr. RYUN) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on

Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on International Relations,

for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case

for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the

committee concerned

RESOLUTION

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that

professional sports leagues and the International Olympic

Committee should help reinforce the unacceptability and

harmfulness of illegal drug use by establishing clear

guidelines and penalties, and that athletes using illegal

drugs who do not identify the person who provided the

illegal drugs and successfully complete a drug treatment

program should be suspended from play for a minimum

of one year without pay.
2

•HRES 481 IH

1 Resolved,

2 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

3 This resolution may be cited as the ‘‘Drug-Free Pro4 fessional and Olympic Athlete Responsibility Resolution’’.

5 SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

6 The House of Representatives finds as follows:

7 (1) There has been an increase in the number

8 of reports over the last year about athletes who have

9 used illegal drugs, have failed to get effective treat10 ment, and have not received appropriate sanctions.

11 (2) Illegal drug use among our Nation’s youth

12 has doubled in the 6 years preceding 1997, with sig13 nificant increases in the use of marijuana, inhalants,

14 cocaine, methamphetamine, LSD, and heroin.

15 (3) The most dramatic increases in teenage

16 drug use have been among children between the ages

17 of 13 and 14.

18 (4) Professional and Olympic athletes are role

19 models for our Nation’s youth, particularly young

20 teenagers.

21 (5) Increases in substance abuse among youth

22 are due in large part to an erosion of understanding

23 by youth of the high risks associated with substance

24 use, and to the softening of peer norms against use.
3

•HRES 481 IH

1 SEC. 3. SENSE OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

2 It is the sense of the House of Representatives that—

3 (1) all professional sports leagues and the

4 International Olympic Committee should help rein5 force the unacceptability and harmfulness of sub6 stance abuse by establishing clear guidelines and

7 penalties regarding drug abuse, including a written

8 policy, treatment assistance programs, and minimum

9 penalties that are consistently enforced; and

10 (2) athletes who are using illegal drugs who do

11 not identify the person who provided the illegal

12 drugs and successfully complete a drug treatment

13 program should be suspended from play for a mini14 mum of one year without pay.

15 SEC. 4. DEFINITION.

16 In this resolution, the term ‘‘illegal drug’’ means a

17 substance listed as a controlled substance under schedules

18 I through V of section 202 of the Controlled Substances

19 Act (21 U.S.C. 812).

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