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Protecting Young Victims from Sexual Abuse and Safe Sport Authorization Act of 2017

Public Law 115-126 · S. 534 · 115th Congress · began in the Senate

Signed by Donald Trump (R) on Feb 14, 2018 · Crime and Law Enforcement

Sponsor: Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA)

Cosponsors (29): Sen. Susan Collins,

Passage votesYeaNay

  • HouseRecorded vote: 406 yea, 3 nay406–3
  • SenateVoice vote
Data notes

The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.

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Summary

The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.

Protecting Young Victims from Sexual Abuse and Safe Sport Authorization Act of 2017

TITLE I--PROTECTING YOUNG VICTIMS FROM SEXUAL ABUSE

(Sec. 101) This bill amends the Victims of Child Abuse Act of 1990 to extend the duty to report suspected child abuse, including sexual abuse, to adults who are authorized to interact with minor or amateur athletes at an amateur sports organization facility or at an event sanctioned by a national governing body (NGB) or member of an NGB. An NGB is an amateur sports organization that is recognized by the U.S. Olympic Committee.

An authorized adult who fails to report suspected child abuse within a 24-hour period is subject to criminal penalties.

(Sec. 102) The bill amends the federal criminal code to revise civil remedy provisions for a victim of a human trafficking offense or federal sex offense. Among other things, it changes the civil statute of limitations to 10 years from the date the victim reasonably discovers the violation or injury (currently, 10 years from the date the cause of action arose). The bill also extends the statute of limitations for a minor victim of a human trafficking or federal sex offense to file a civil action to 10 years (currently, 3 years) from the date such individual reaches age 18.

TITLE II--UNITED STATES CENTER FOR SAFE SPORT AUTHORIZATION

(Sec. 201) The bill expands the purposes of the U.S. Olympic Committee to include promoting a safe environment in sports that is free from abuse of amateur athletes.

(Sec. 202) The bill designates the United States Center for Safe Sport to serve as the independent national safe sport organization.

The center has jurisdiction over the U.S. Olympic Committee, NGBs, and Paralympic sports organizations with respect to safeguarding amateur athletes from abuse. It must develop training, practices, policies, and procedures to prevent abuse.

NGBs must implement the policies and procedures to prevent abuse.

(Sec. 203) An amateur sports organization that requests an NGB sanction to host an international amateur athletic competition inside the United States or to sponsor U.S. athletes in an international amateur athletic competition outside the United States must implement and comply with the policies and procedures to prevent abuse.

(Sec. 204) An amateur sports organization that is not subject to the center's policies and procedures to prevent abuse must comply with certain general requirements, including to report suspected child abuse and to limit one-on-one contact between an amateur athlete who is a minor and an adult.

Who voted for it

Every House member of the 115th Congress on the ideology compass. Highlighted: the 406 who voted yea on final passage. Faded: everyone else, including those who voted nay, did not vote, or had not yet taken office.

406 yea3 nay21 present or did not vote

ProEstablishmentAnti
Economic left–right
More liberalMore conservative

Democrats who voted yea(181)

Republicans who voted yea(225)

Data notes

The House’s recorded vote on the final version of the law (roll call 752 in Voteview), matched to the vote the record cites and checked against its totals. Positions are each member’s DW-NOMINATE score for that Congress, as on the Ideology page; left to right is more liberal to more conservative. Paired and announced yea votes count as yea. Lists follow the compass, most liberal first. A name links to a profile only for members of the current Congress. A law passed by voice vote or unanimous consent has no member list, and neither does a vote Voteview has not yet recorded.

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Committees

The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.

Data notes

A committee links to its page only where it exists in the current Congress; older and renamed committees are named without a link.

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Related bills

2 bills the Library of Congress relates to this one.

  • H.R. 1973Related bill

    Protecting Young Victims from Sexual Abuse Act of 2017

  • S. 1426Related bill

    United States Center for Safe Sport Authorization Act of 2017

Data notes

Related bills are identified by the Congressional Research Service, the House and the Senate: companion and identical bills, bills with similar text, bills that were folded into this law, and rules that brought it to the floor. A bill that is itself a public law in this site’s data links here; the others link to Congress.gov.

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Timeline

From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 27 actions.

  1. Feb 14, 2018Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 115-126.
  2. Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
  3. Feb 7, 2018FloorFloor · Presented to President.
  4. Jan 30, 2018Resolving differencesResolving differences · Senate agreed to the House amendment to S. 534 by Voice Vote.
  5. FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
  6. FloorFloor · Message on House action received in Senate and at desk: House amendment to Senate bill.
  7. OtherOther · Resolving differences -- Senate actions: Senate agreed to the House amendment to S. 534 by Voice Vote.
  8. Jan 29, 2018FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
  9. FloorFloor · On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 406 - 3 (Roll no. 45).House roll call 45
  10. FloorFloor · Considered as unfinished business.
  11. FloorFloor · At the conclusion of debate, the Yeas and Nays were demanded and ordered. Pursuant to the provisions of clause 8, rule XX, the Chair announced that further proceedings on the motion would be postponed.
  12. FloorFloor · DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on S. 534.
  13. FloorFloor · Considered under suspension of the rules.
  14. FloorFloor · Mr. Poe (TX) moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
  15. Nov 15, 2017FloorFloor · Held at the desk.
  16. FloorFloor · Received in the House.
  17. FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
  18. Nov 14, 2017FloorFloor · Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent.
  19. FloorFloor · The committee substitute withdrawn by Unanimous Consent.
  20. FloorFloor · Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent.
  21. Jun 8, 2017CalendarCalendar · Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 121.
  22. CommitteeCommittee · Committee on the Judiciary. Reported by Senator Grassley with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. Without written report.
  23. May 11, 2017CommitteeCommittee · Committee on the Judiciary. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.
  24. Mar 28, 2017CommitteeCommittee · Committee on the Judiciary. Hearings held.
  25. CommitteeCommittee · Hearings by Senate Judiciary Committee
  26. Mar 6, 2017CommitteeCommittee · Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
  27. IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in Senate
Data notes

Every action the Library of Congress lists for the bill, from introduction to signing, plus the dated committee hearings. The source lists many steps twice (the chamber’s own entry and the Library of Congress copy, or a presidential and a became-law entry with the same words); those are shown once. Amendments are listed in their own section.

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Amendments

1 amendment offered to the bill, with the last recorded step of each.

  • S.Amdt. 1584SenateSen. Dianne FeinsteinD-CA· offered Nov 14, 2017Agreed to

    In the nature of a substitute.

    Nov 14, 2017: Amendment SA 1584 agreed to in Senate by Unanimous Consent.

    Agreed to
Data notes

Amendments offered to this bill in either chamber, as the Library of Congress records them: each with a status read from its last recorded step: agreed to, rejected, withdrawn, ruled out of order, fell with another amendment, or offered with no vote recorded (most Senate amendments are only ever offered). The wording of each amendment is the source’s. Amendments to amendments and amendments to other bills are not listed.

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Official record

The bill’s full text is on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.