Fear That Congress Might Not Act On Most CSUSOP Recommendations
Time-frame??
Today is the third month of releasing the 277-page Final Report of the Commission on the State of U.S. Olympics and Paralympics, on March 1.
The Commission on the State of U.S. Olympics and Paralympics (CSUSOP) was established by Congress in 2020 to “study the current United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) and recent reform efforts and issue a report on its findings, including potential reform recommendations.” (P.L. 116-189, §11)
CSUSOP Recommendation #12: Congress and state legislatures should think creatively about new and supplementary funding sources to support athletes throughout the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic movement. (CSUSOP Report at pages 149-151)
In the article, “For many Olympians and Paralympians, the path to Paris is self-funded,” on May 23, Dionne Koller, a CSUSOP co-chair and professor of law at the University of Baltimore, said one way to fix this would be to direct government funding for the USOPC. The CSUSOP recommended that move and offered a few suggestions for how to do it: taxing sports gambling, adding a donation checkbox to IRS tax returns, or establishing a national lottery.
Congress.gov shows no legislative bill on the mentioned issues to be introduced to Congress.
CSUSOP Recommendation #2: Congress should make SafeSport fully independent so that it can regain athletes’ trust and be held more accountable to the movement and the public (pages 123-125), and
CSUSOP Recommendation #3: Congress should reform certain SafeSport practices and reimagine the way SafeSport operates at the youth and grassroots level (pages 125-129.)
To discuss oversight of SafeSport’s ability to protect athletes, from youth sports to the Olympics, the U.S. Senate Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Consumer Protection, Product Safety, and Data Security and the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations had hearings on March 20 and March 21 respectively.
As of this writing, neither Committee has proposed a legislative bill.
However, during her Senate sub-committee appearance, U.S. Center for SafeSport chief executive Ju’Riese Colon said, “The Center is requesting legislative change to establish a definition for National Governing Bodies that is inclusive of locally-affiliated organizations, and makes clear that NGBs have oversight over them.” This change could be included in a forthcoming House bill from Rep. Deborah Ross (D-NC-2), tentatively titled the “Safer Sports for Athletes Act of 2024.”
CSUSOP Recommendation #1: Congress should limit USOPC’s purpose to focusing on high-performance athletes and create a new federal office to coordinate and develop youth and grassroots movement sports. (pages 120-122.)
One of four key points: Create a new Office of Sports and Fitness of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to support the coordination and development of youth and grassroots sports nationwide.
As the CSUSOP’s fiscal agent, the Aspen Institute Sports & Society Program pushed the CSUSOP to focus on youth sports. On July 13, 2023 (7 months before the CSUSOP Report), Rep. Allred, Colin Z. [D-TX-32] introduced H.R.4599 - PLAYS in Youth Sports Act), which would authorize $75 million in grant funding to go directly to youth sports non-profits.
This bill does not include the creation of an HHS office for sports and fitness.
In response to the Wall Street Journal article, “Olympic Commission Wants to Put the U.S. Government in Charge of Youth Sports” (subscribed) on March 1, U.S. Senator Ted Cruz of Texas wrote on his Facebook page, “The government running your kid’s little league.. what could go wrong?”
THEREFORE, American computer and consumer electronics companies (not Uncle Sam) should contribute up to $75 million to the Aspen Institute Sports & Society Program, distributed directly to youth sports non-profit organizations.
Read more negative comments in my earlier issue - “CSUSOP Is The Aspen Institute Sports & Society Program's Pet Project????”
There are no congressional actions on the CSUSOP’s other nine recommendations (see page 5.)
On March 11, 2024, the Sports Business Journal cautioned the readers with the following:
“With the USOPC and national governing bodies looking ahead to the Paris Games this summer, politicians could use that as a platform to propose legislation. Changes that don’t rely on Congress to act might not get full consideration until the [United States] Olympic and Paralympic [Committee] assembly, which has been pushed back to November because of the Games
Time-frames-??
Look at the legislative histories of the last four federal laws related to the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC.)
Introduced in the Senate as S. 2727 by Ted Stevens (AK) on March 10, 1978
Committee consideration by Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation, House Judiciary beginning on April 27, 1978.
Passed the Senate on May 8, 1978 (Passed)
Passed the House on October 13, 1978 (Passed) with amendment
Senate agreed to the House amendment on October 14. 1978 (Passed)
The 95th Congress adjourned on October 15, 1978.
Signed into law by President Jimmy Carter on November 8, 1978
Ted Stevens Olympic and Amateur Sports Act of 1998
Introduced in the Senate by Senator Ted Stevens (Alaska) on May 22, 1998
Committee consideration by the United States Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation beginning on September 10, 1998
Passed the Senate (No record data)
Passed the House (No record data)
Signed into law by President Bill Clinton on October 21, 1998
The 105th Congress adjourned on December 19, 1998.
Protecting Young Victims from Sexual Abuse and Safe Sport Authorization Act of 2017 (short name: Safe Sport Authorization Act):
Introduced in the Senate by Dianne Feinstein (CA) on March 6, 2017
Committee consideration by the United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary on June 8, 2017.
Passed the Senate on November 14, 2017 (unanimous consent)
Passed the House on January 29, 2018 (Yeas: 406; Nays: 3) with amendment
Senate agreed to the House amendment on January 30, 2018 (voice vote)
Signed into law by President Donald Trump on February 14, 2018
The 115th Congress adjourned on January 3, 2019.
Empowering Olympic, Paralympic, and Amateur Athletes Act of 2020: (EOPAAA)
Introduced in the Senate by Senator Jerry Moran on July 30, 2019
Committee consideration by the United States Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation beginning on July 29, 2020
Passed the Senate on August 4, 2020 (unanimous consent)
Passed the House on October 1, 2020 (voice vote)
Signed into law by President Donald Trump on October 30, 2020
The 116th Congress adjourned on January 3, 2021.
The last day of the 118th Congress, 2nd Session (January 3, 2025, at noon) is 217 days away (or 7 months and 3 days.)
~~~~~ TO BE CONTINUED ~~~~~