Updated March 19, 2024
U.S. Center for SafeSport: A Primer
The U.S. Center for SafeSport (“the Center”) is the primary
Authorities and Operations of the
amateur athletics organization in the United States with
Center
responsibility for preventing and responding to sexual and
The Center is independent from USOPC and other
other abuse. Between its creation in 2017 and December
organizations and “exercise[s] jurisdiction over the
2022, the Center received over 16,000 reports of potential
[USOPC] and each [NGB] with regard to safeguarding
abuse and issued disciplinary reports on nearly 2,000 adults,
amateur athletes against abuse, including emotional,
most of whom are no longer eligible to work or volunteer
physical, and sexual abuse, in sports” (36 U.S.C.
with covered sports organizations due to their misconduct.
§220541(a)(1)(B)). The Center is required to allow for the
“reporting, investigation, and resolution” of sexual abuse
While the SafeSport model has been praised and the Center
allegations (36 U.S.C. §220541(a)(1)(D)). Those policies
has developed an infrastructure to address abuse, some
and procedures are provided in the SafeSport Code for the
stakeholders have called its effectiveness into question.
U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Movement. The Center is
also specifically required to immediately report allegations
This In Focus provides background on Congress’s role in
of child abuse to law enforcement and to require NGBs to
the development of the Center, an overview of rules
do the same (36 U.S.C. §220542(a)(2)).
pertaining to the Center, and discussion of concerns about
the Center’s effectiveness.
Complaint Review Process
Creation and Development of the
Section XI of the SafeSport Code includes standards for the
Center
management and disposition of complaints. When the Center
Amateur athletics stakeholders established the Center in
receives or accepts a complaint that falls within its jurisdiction, it
March 2017 to address abuse against amateur athletes
notifies the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee
through prevention, education, and accountability. The
(USOPC) or relevant national governing body (NGB) and makes
Center’s creation followed several high-profile
a preliminary inquiry to determine whether to conduct a ful
investigations of sexual abuse of minor athletes by adults
investigation.
affiliated with the NGBs for several sports.
During an investigation by the Center, both the claimant (who
has alleged wrongdoing) and the respondent (who is under
Perhaps the most well-known of these cases involved
investigation) are allowed to submit relevant evidence and
former USA Gymnastics physician Larry Nassar, who
identify potential witnesses. Neither party is required to
sexually abused athletes for decades and is currently
cooperate with or participate in this process. A party may have
serving a 60-year sentence in federal prison.
the assistance of an “advisor,” who may be an attorney.
Respondents have certain procedural rights, including a right to
At the time of the Center’s creation, Congress was also
written notice, to be represented by counsel, and to be heard
considering legislation to address these issues. Initial
during the investigation.
proposals focused on ensuring that USOPC and NGBs
Decisions of the Center are based on a preponderance-of-the-
appropriately respond to abuse allegations. Ultimately, in
evidence standard. The findings of each investigation are included
early 2018, Congress passed the Protecting Young
in a confidential report that is provided to the claimant and
Victims from Sexual Abuse and Safe Sport Authorization
respondent along with the Center’s decision on whether a
Act (P.L. 115-126), which instead assigned most of those
violation has occurred and what, if any, sanctions are being
duties to the Center. These provisions are codified at Title
imposed.
36, Sections 220541-220543, of the U.S. Code.
After a decision is issued, the respondent has a right to a review
After this congressional action, abuse investigations
hearing before an arbitrator.
continued, and more information came to light about the
The SafeSport Code is available at https://uscenterforsafesport.org/
problem across the community. This led Congress to enact
response-and-resolution/safesport-code/.
the Empowering Olympic, Paralympic, and Amateur
Athletes Act (P.L. 116-189) in 2020. This act made
The Center is also required to maintain an office of
broader changes to the Amateur Sports Act, which governs
education and outreach, provide training on SafeSport
USOPC, and included specific provisions to increase the
practices, and conduct compliance audits of USOPC and
independence of the Center from USOPC and to facilitate
NGB adherence to SafeSport policies (36 U.S.C.
congressional oversight.
§220541(h)).
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U.S. Center for SafeSport: A Primer
The Center maintains both an online reporting portal and a
Transparency to Congress
telephone hotline. Information on both is available at
To facilitate congressional oversight, the Center is required
https://uscenterforsafesport.org/report-a-concern/.
to submit an annual report to Congress that includes general
information about the Center’s activities, specific
Sanctions
information on its finances, and statistics on complaints and
When a Center investigation finds that a violation of the
investigations (36 U.S.C. §220543(c)).
SafeSport Code has occurred, the Center is authorized to
impose different types of sanctions, including written
Funding
warnings, time-limited restrictions including probation and
The operating funds for the Center are provided by the
suspension, indefinite ineligibility, and permanent
amateur athletics community. Congress mandated that,
ineligibility. The Center may impose additional sanctions
beginning in 2021, USOPC must provide the Center $20
such as no-contact directives and mandatory training
million per year. The Center also receives funding from
(SafeSport Code §XIII).
donations, grants, and fees for some of its training
programs. This funding mechanism has led some to raise
Publication of Names of Barred Individuals
concerns about the independence of the Center from
The Center is required to “publish and maintain [a website]
USOPC.
that contains a comprehensive list of adults who are barred
by the Center” (36 U.S.C. §220541(a)(1)(G)). The
In addition, Congress authorized the Department of Justice
SafeSport Code states that the Center will publish a list of
to provide grants of up to $2.5 million per year to support
participants “whose eligibility has in some way been
oversight with regard to “safeguarding amateur athletes”
restricted by the Center, the USOPC, an NGB,” or a local
(36 U.S.C. §220531).
affiliated organization (SafeSport Code §XII(C)).
Is the Center Effective?
The Center maintains a list of covered individuals including
Congress has demonstrated an ongoing interest in the
their names and locations, sport affiliations, statuses, and
welfare of amateur athletes, including both accountability
why they were barred. The list includes approximately
for and prevention of abuse. Congress may wish to monitor
2,000 individuals, many of whom have been charged with
the Center’s ability to protect athletes and address abuse.
or convicted of criminal sexual misconduct.
The SafeSport model and the Center are both relatively
NGB Compliance Audits
new, especially in their implementation, and the Center’s
The Center also conducts annual audits of USOPC and
effectiveness has been criticized. For instance, in October
NGBs to “assess compliance with policies and procedures”
2022, the U.S. Soccer Federation released an investigative
for the Center and help ensure they are providing
report led by Sally Yates regarding abuse within the
“consistent training” to all staff (36 U.S.C. §220541(h)).
National Women’s Soccer League. While the report was
critical of both organizations, it also included
The Center is authorized to impose “corrective measures”
recommendations to make the Center more effective and
on USOPC and NGBs to ensure compliance with the
improve how NGBs respond to the Center’s activities. The
Center’s requirements, and USOPC is obliged to use its
report also noted the Center’s rate of administrative
authority over NGBs to assist the Center (36 U.S.C.
closures as a potential concern.
§220541(h)(2). The Center is required to make the results
of compliance audits publicly available and to report
On March 1, 2024, the Commission on the State of the U.S.
annually to Congress on corrective measures (36 U.S.C.
Olympics and Paralympics, a commission created by
§220541(h)(3)).
Congress in 2020, issued its final report and
recommendations on modernizing sports governance in the
Independence Requirements
United States. The report’s findings echoed many of the
Congress has emphasized the Center’s need for
concerns raised by other stakeholders regarding the
independence from USOPC and NGBs, which might be the
Center’s processes and capacity and identified broader
subject of investigations. To that end, in most cases there is
issues with the funding method for the Center and
a two-year “cooling-off” period during which an individual
confusion in the stakeholder community regarding the
may not “work or volunteer at the Center” after leaving a
scope of its jurisdiction.
position with USOPC or an NGB (36 U.S.C. §220541(f)(1).
The Government Accountability Office is required to
Ultimately, while the commission has recommended a
certify each year that the Center has maintained its
variety of reform options for Congress to address the issues
independence by following this and other specified
it identified, it also concluded that the Center should be
practices (36 U.S.C. §220541(j)).
retained and reformed to address these concerns.
Additionally, if USOPC or an NGB attempts to interfere
The Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations of the
with an investigation conducted by the Center, the Center is
House Committee on Energy and Commerce has scheduled
required to report that interference to Congress within 72
a hearing on the Center on March 21, 2024.
hours (36 U.S.C. §220541(f)(4)).
Ben Wilhelm, Analyst in Government Organization and
Management
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U.S. Center for SafeSport: A Primer

IF12467


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https://crsreports.congress.gov | IF12467 · VERSION 4 · UPDATED

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