An 18-month Senate investigation has found that the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee and USA Gymnastics "knowingly concealed" the sexual abuse of gymnasts by a team doctor, the New York Times reports.
Driving the news: As a result of the investigation, a bipartisan bill known as the Empowering Olympic and Amateur Athletes Act of 2019 will be introduced today by Sens. Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.).
If passed, the bill would...
- Create accountability. The USOPC and the national governing bodies of Olympics-related sports would be held to "more stringent legal accountability for failing to protect athletes."
- Establish procedures. The USOPC would be required to provide more oversight of governing bodies, while also establishing clear procedures to report abuse.
- Increase congressional oversight. The bill gives Congress authority to dissolve the board of the USOPC and decertify national governing bodies should they fail to protect athletes.
- Fund nonprofit work. The USOPC currently pays $3.1 million per year to SafeSport, a nonprofit that investigates sexual misconduct in Olympic sports. This bill would require them to pay $20 million annually, instead.
The big picture: Blumenthal called the bill a "moment of reckoning" and believes it demonstrates Congress' willingness to create a "seismic cultural shift" in the protection of athletes from abuse, per NYT.
Go deeper: The overwhelming case against Larry Nassar
