Today, the House passed S. 534, the “Protecting Young Victims from Sexual Abuse and Safe Sport Authorization Act.”  This bill would help prevent and address instances of abuse of young athletes participating in sports organized under the national governing bodies recognized by the U.S. Olympic Committee.  Among other provisions, the bill would authorize the U.S. Center for Safe Sport to receive and investigate allegations of abuse, and to develop training, oversight practices, policies, and procedures to prevent the abuse of these minors and amateur athletes.  However, the House version of the legislation would amend the Senate-passed version by stripping the funding authorization of $1 million every year through 2021. 

House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) released the following statement on the bill:

“I support the legislation being considered on the floor today. However, I am deeply disappointed that it strips funding for the organization charged with investigating abuse and developing policies to prevent it. We must do all we can to prevent the abuse of young athletes by those entrusted with caring for and coaching them, to remove obstacles that make it difficult to raise cases of abuse to the attention of higher ups, and to hold perpetrators accountable when such horrendous abuse occurs. I call on my colleagues in Congress to work together to ensure adequate funding is provided to ensure the bill lives up to its promise of protecting our young athletes.”

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