USS was conceived in 1978 with the passage of the Amateur Sports Act which specified that all Olympic sports would be administered independently. USS Headquarters office was established in Colorado Springs, Colo., in 1981 and is located at the Olympic Training Center. As the National Governing Body for the sport, USS is responsible for the conduct and administration of swimming in the United States. In this capacity, USS formulates the rules, implements policies and procedures, conducts the national championships, disseminates safety and sports medicine information and selects the athletes to represent the United States in international competition . Each LSC has its own set of bylaws under which it operates.
Swimming is a non-profit organization made up of very dedicated volunteers.
Interested individuals donate their time, energy and expertise at every level from the national Board of Directors to the local swimming clubs. All policy decisions are made through a chain of committees reporting to elected vice presidents. The USS House of Delegates meets once a year at the annual USAS Convention and determines the rules and regulations for swimming for the following year. Between yearly meetings of the House of Delegates, an elected USS Board of Directors is charged with the responsibility of making decisions for the Corporation. The USS Headquarters provides a variety of services and programs for its membership.