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GAO-24-107252 1 (2024-06-13)

handle is hein.gao/gaoqmy0001 and id is 1 raw text is: U.S. GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY OFFICE 441 G St. N.W. Washington, DC 20548 June 13, 2024 Congressional Committees Amateur Athlete Safety: Certification Related to the Independence of the U.S. Center for SafeSport for Fiscal Year 2023 The U.S. Center for SafeSport (the Center), established in March 2017, is a nonprofit organization that plays a key role in ensuring the safety of amateur athletes. Many of these athletes are minors who participate in Olympic, Paralympic, Pan-American, and Parapan American events and training.1 The Center has jurisdiction over the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee (the Corporation) and national governing bodies (amateur sports organizations recognized or certified by the Corporation for a sport included in the Olympic, Paralympic, Pan-American, or Parapan American Games) with regard to safeguarding amateur athletes against abuse in sports.2 The Center is required to develop training, oversight practices, policies, and procedures to prevent abuse of amateur athletes, among other activities. Also, the Center is responsible for investigating and resolving allegations of sexual misconduct by coaches, trainers, managers, peers, and others in violation of the Center's policies and procedures. In addition, the Center may, at its discretion, investigate and resolve allegations of other policy violations, including nonsexual child abuse as well as emotional and physical misconduct.3 The Empowering Olympic, Paralympic, and Amateur Athletes Act of 2020 (EOPAAA) made several amendments to the Ted Stevens Olympic and Amateur Sports Act.4 Among other things, the EOPAAA prohibits former employees or board members of the Corporation or a national governing body from working or volunteering at the Center for 2 years after their 1Under the Ted Stevens Olympic and Amateur Sports Act, an amateur sports organization means a not-for-profit corporation, association, or other group organized in the United States that sponsors or arranges an amateur athletic competition. 36 U.S.C. § 220501 (b)(3). An amateur athlete is an athlete who meets the eligibility standards established by the national governing body or Paralympic sports organization for the sport in which the athlete competes. The U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee (Corporation) recognizes or certifies one national governing body per sport (e.g., U.S. Soccer, USA Rugby). There are currently 49 national governing bodies and three Paralympic sports organizations. In this report, we use the term national governing body to include the Corporation's recognized or certified national governing bodies and Paralympic sports organizations as of January 2024, for a total of 52 organizations. 2See 36 U.S.C. §§ 220541-220543. 3For more information on the Center's response and resolution process for reports of abuse, see GAO, Amateur Athletes: The U. S. Center for SafeSport's Response and Resolution Process for Reporting Abuse, GAO-21-128R (Washington, D.C.: Dec. 18, 2020). 4Pub. L. No. 116-189, 134 Stat. 943. The EOPAAA was enacted on October 30, 2020. GAO-24-107252 U.S. Center for SafeSport Page 1

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