Title: United States Center for Safe Sport Authorization Act of 2017
Policy area: Sports and Recreation

Summary:
United States Center for Safe Sport Authorization Act of 2017
This bill amends the Ted Stevens Olympic and Amateur Sports Act to include among the purposes of the U.S. Olympic Committee to promote a safe environment in sports that is free from abuse, including emotional, physical, and sexual abuse, of any amateur athlete.
The bill designates the United States Center for Safe Sport, which shall:
The center may utilize a neutral arbitration body and develop policies and procedures to resolve allegations of sexual abuse within its jurisdiction.
The center shall: (1) develop training, oversight practices, policies, and procedures for implementation by such body or organization to prevent abuse of any amateur athlete; (2) keep correct and complete records of account; and (3) report annually to Congress.
The center, and each national governing body and paralympic sports organization, shall not be liable for damages in any civil action for defamation, libel, slander, or damage to reputation arising from the execution of its responsibilities or functions.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1426 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

<DOC>






115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1426

 To amend the Ted Stevens Olympic and Amateur Sports Act to expand the 
purposes of the corporation, to designate the United States Center for 
                  Safe Sport, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             June 22, 2017

 Mr. Thune (for himself and Mr. Nelson) introduced the following bill; 
    which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, 
                      Science, and Transportation

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To amend the Ted Stevens Olympic and Amateur Sports Act to expand the 
purposes of the corporation, to designate the United States Center for 
                  Safe Sport, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``United States Center for Safe Sport 
Authorization Act of 2017''.

SEC. 2. EXPANSION OF THE PURPOSES OF THE CORPORATION.

    Section 220503 of title 36, United States Code, is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (13), by striking ``; and'' and inserting 
        a semicolon;
            (2) in paragraph (14), by striking the period at the end 
        and inserting ``; and''; and
            (3) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(15) to promote a safe environment in sports that is free 
        from abuse, including emotional, physical, and sexual abuse, of 
        any amateur athlete.''.

SEC. 3. DESIGNATION OF THE UNITED STATES CENTER FOR SAFE SPORT.

    (a) In General.--Chapter 2205 of title 36, United States Code, is 
amended by adding at the end the following:

         ``Subchapter III--United States Center for Safe Sport

``220531. Designation of United States Center for Safe Sport.
``220532. Additional duties.
``220533. Records, audits, and reports.
``220534. Authorization of appropriations.
``Sec. 220531. Designation of United States Center for Safe Sport
    ``(a) In General.--The United States Center for Safe Sport 
(referred to in this subchapter as the `Center') shall--
            ``(1) serve as the independent national safe sport 
        organization and be recognized worldwide as the independent 
        national safe sport organization for the United States;
            ``(2) exercise jurisdiction over the corporation, each 
        national governing body, and each paralympic sports 
        organization with regard to safeguarding amateur athletes 
        against abuse, including emotional, physical, and sexual abuse, 
        in sports;
            ``(3) maintain an office for education and outreach that 
        shall develop training, oversight practices, policies, and 
        procedures to prevent the abuse, including emotional, physical, 
        and sexual abuse, of amateur athletes participating in amateur 
        athletic activities through national governing bodies and 
        paralympic sports organizations;
            ``(4) ensure that the policies and procedures under 
        paragraph (3) include requirements that all national governing 
        bodies and paralympic sports organizations follow the policies 
        and procedures of the Center;
            ``(5) maintain an office for response and resolution that 
        shall establish mechanisms that allow for the reporting, 
        investigation, and adjudication of alleged sexual abuse in 
        violation of the Center's policies and procedures; and
            ``(6) ensure that the mechanisms under paragraph (5) 
        provide fair notice and an opportunity to be heard and protect 
        the privacy and safety of complainants.
    ``(b) Policies and Procedures.--
            ``(1) In general.--The Center may, in its discretion, 
        utilize a neutral arbitration body and develop policies and 
        procedures to resolve allegations of sexual abuse within its 
        jurisdiction.
            ``(2) Rule of construction.--Nothing in this section shall 
        be construed as altering, superseding, or otherwise affecting 
        the right of an amateur athlete to pursue criminal or civil 
        justice through the courts.
    ``(c) Limitation on Liability.--
            ``(1) In general.--Except as provided in paragraph (2), the 
        Center, and each national governing body and paralympic sports 
        organization, including any officer, employee, or agent 
        thereof, shall not be liable for damages in any civil action 
        for defamation, libel, slander, or damage to reputation arising 
        out of any action or communication, if the action arises from 
        the execution of the responsibilities or functions described in 
        this section, section 220532, or section 220533.
            ``(2) Exception.--Paragraph (1) shall not apply in any 
        action in which the Center, a national governing body, or a 
        paralympic sports organization, or an officer, employee, or 
        agent thereof, acted with actual malice, or provided 
        information or took action not pursuant to this section, 
        section 220532, or section 220533.
``Sec. 220532. Additional duties.
    ``(a) In General.--The Center shall--
            ``(1) develop training, oversight practices, policies, and 
        procedures for implementation by a national governing body or 
        paralympic sports organization to prevent the abuse, including 
        emotional, physical, and sexual abuse, of any amateur athlete; 
        and
            ``(2) include in the policies and procedures developed 
        under section 220531(a)(3)--
                    ``(A) a requirement that all adult members of a 
                national governing body, a paralympic sports 
                organization, or a facility under the jurisdiction of a 
                national governing body or paralympic sports 
                organization, and all adults authorized by such members 
                to interact with an amateur athlete, report immediately 
                any allegation of sexual abuse of an amateur athlete 
                who is a minor to law enforcement authorities and other 
                appropriate authorities, including the Center, whenever 
                such members or adults learn of facts leading them to 
                suspect reasonably that an amateur athlete who is a 
                minor has suffered an incident of sexual abuse;
                    ``(B) a mechanism, approved by a trained expert on 
                child abuse, that allows a complainant to report easily 
                an incident of sexual abuse to the Center, a national 
                governing body, law enforcement authorities, or other 
                appropriate authorities;
                    ``(C) reasonable procedures to limit one-on-one 
                interactions between an amateur athlete who is a minor 
                and an adult (who is not the minor's legal guardian) at 
                a facility under the jurisdiction of a national 
                governing body or paralympic sports organization 
                without being in an observable and interruptible 
                distance from another adult, except under exigent 
                circumstances;
                    ``(D) procedures to prohibit retaliation, by any 
                national governing body or paralympic sports 
                organization, against any individual who makes a report 
                under subparagraph (A) or subparagraph (B);
                    ``(E) oversight procedures, including regular and 
                random audits conducted by subject matter experts 
                unaffiliated with a national governing body or a 
                paralympic sports organization of each national 
                governing body and paralympic sports organization to 
                ensure that policies and procedures developed under 
                that section are followed correctly and that consistent 
                training is offered and given to all adult members, and 
                subject to parental consent, to members who are minors, 
                regarding prevention of sexual abuse; and
                    ``(F) a mechanism by which a national governing 
                body or paralympic sports organization can--
                            ``(i) share confidentially a report of 
                        suspected sexual abuse of an amateur athlete 
                        who is a minor by a member of a national 
                        governing body or paralympic sports 
                        organization, or an adult authorized by a 
                        national governing body or paralympic sports 
                        organization to interact with an amateur 
                        athlete who is a minor, with each of the other 
                        national governing bodies, paralympic sports 
                        organizations, or facilities under the control 
                        of such entities; and
                            ``(ii) withhold providing to an adult who 
                        is the subject of an allegation of sexual abuse 
                        authority to interact with an amateur athlete 
                        who is a minor until the resolution of such 
                        allegation.
    ``(b) Rule of Construction.--Nothing in this section shall be 
construed to limit the ability of a national governing body or 
paralympic sports organization to impose an interim measure to prevent 
an individual who is the subject of an allegation of sexual abuse from 
interacting with an amateur athlete.
``Sec. 220533. Records, audits, and reports
    ``(a) Records.--The Center shall keep correct and complete records 
of account.
    ``(b) Report.--The Center shall submit an annual report to 
Congress, including--
            ``(1) an audit conducted and submitted in accordance with 
        section 10101; and
            ``(2) a description of the activities of the Center.
``Sec. 220534. Authorization of appropriations
    ``There are authorized to be appropriated to the Center--
            ``(1) for fiscal year 2017, $1,000,000;
            ``(2) for fiscal year 2018, $1,000,000;
            ``(3) for fiscal year 2019, $1,000,000;
            ``(4) for fiscal year 2020, $1,000,000; and
            ``(5) for fiscal year 2021, $1,000,000.''.
    (b) Conforming Amendment.--Section 220501(b) of title 36, United 
States Code, is amended--
            (1) by redesignating paragraphs (4) through (8) as 
        paragraphs (5) through (9), respectively; and
            (2) by inserting after paragraph (3), the following:
            ``(4) `Center' means the United States Center for Safe 
        Sport designated under section 220531.''.
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