Empowering Olympic, Paralympic, and Amateur Athletes Act of 2020
Public Law 116-189 · S. 2330 · 116th Congress · began in the Senate
Signed by Donald Trump (R) on Oct 30, 2020 · Sports and Recreation
Sponsor: Sen. Jerry Moran (R-KS)
Cosponsors (16): Sen. Richard Blumenthal, Sen. Joni Ernst,
Passage votes
- HouseVoice vote
- SenateUnanimous consent
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.
Summary
The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.
Empowering Olympic, Paralympic, and Amateur Athletes Act of 2020
This bill establishes safeguards to protect amateur athletes from abuse, including sexual abuse, by coaches and employees in U.S. Olympic and Paralympic sports.
The bill establishes (1) legislative mechanisms by which Congress can dissolve the Board of Directors of the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) and decertify national governing bodies; and (2) a duty of care that USOPC owes to amateur athletes, including protecting athletes by requiring it to ensure that any allegation of child abuse of an amateur athlete who is a minor is immediately reported to law enforcement.
The bill provides for an annual amateur athlete survey conducted anonymously and an Athletes' Advisory Council.
The bill revises duties of the Office of the Ombuds regarding the pursuit of abuse claims by the U.S. Center for SafeSport, confidentiality, and retaliation against an employee or member for disclosing information or seeking assistance in mediation. The USOPC and the national governing bodies shall not interfere in or attempt to influence the outcome of an investigation.
The center shall report to Congress within 72 hours of an attempt to interfere in, or influence the outcome of, an investigation.
The bill establishes within the legislative branch the Commission on the State of U.S. Olympics and Paralympics to study matters relating to the state of U.S. participation in the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
The bill prohibits retaliation against protected individuals (including amateur athletes, coaches, and trainers) because of disclosures pertaining to sexual abuse or harassment.
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.
Related bills
5 bills the Library of Congress relates to this one.
H.Con.Res. 118Related bill
Directing the Secretary of the Senate to make a correction in the enrollment of the bill S. 2330.
H.R. 3303Related bill
Strengthening U.S. Olympics Act
H.R. 7881Identical bill
Empowering Olympic, Paralympic, and Amateur Athletes Act of 2020
S. 132Related bill
Strengthening U.S. Olympics Act
S.Con.Res. 46Related bill
A concurrent resolution to correct the enrollment of S. 2330.
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.
Timeline
From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 19 actions.
- Oct 30, 2020Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 116-189.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Oct 20, 2020FloorFloor · Presented to President.
- Oct 1, 2020FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- FloorFloor · On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by voice vote.
- FloorFloor · DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on S. 2330.
- FloorFloor · Considered under suspension of the rules.
- FloorFloor · Ms. Bass moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill.
- Aug 7, 2020FloorFloor · Held at the desk.
- FloorFloor · Received in the House.
- FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
- Aug 4, 2020FloorFloor · Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent.
- FloorFloor · The committee substitute withdrawn by Unanimous Consent. (CR S4696)
- FloorFloor · Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent.
- Jul 29, 2020CalendarCalendar · Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 503.
- CommitteeCommittee · Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Reported by Senator Wicker with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. With written report No. 116-245.
- Nov 13, 2019CommitteeCommittee · Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.
- Jul 30, 2019CommitteeCommittee · Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
- 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.
Amendments
1 amendment offered to the bill, with the last recorded step of each.
- Agreed to
S.Amdt. 2512SenateSen. Jerry MoranR-KS· offered Aug 4, 2020Agreed to
In the nature of a substitute.
Aug 4, 2020: Amendment SA 2512 agreed to in Senate by Unanimous Consent.
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.
Official record
The bill’s full text is on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.