Washington D.C. — Today, Representatives Deborah Ross (NC-02), Dave Joyce (OH-14), Kathy Castor (FL-14), and Don Bacon (NE-02) hosted a virtual press conference to announce the introduction of their Safer Sports for Athletes Act. Alongside survivors and advocates, the lawmakers introduced their bipartisan legislation to strengthen the U.S. Center for SafeSport (SafeSport) and help end sexual, physical, and emotional abuse in sports.

VIDEO: Click here to download a recording of the press conference

Congress established SafeSport in 2017 to conduct investigations into cases of abuse in sports, control a centralized disciplinary database, and provide training designed to prevent abuse in sports to coaches, athletes, and sports organizations. SafeSport receives thousands of reports of abuse and misconduct per year, but it needs stronger guidelines and greater resources to fulfill the intent of Congress and better prevent and address sexual, physical, and emotional abuse of athletes.

Congresswoman Ross represents the Carolina Courage, whose players experienced sexual abuse and coercion while Paul Riley was the head coach. Since news broke of his abuse, Congresswoman Ross has led efforts in Congress to help reform the culture of abuse and harassment that has permeated women’s soccer and other sports for too long.

“For too long, athletes in different sports and across all levels of athletics have endured devastating abuse and have not felt served by the institutions charged with protecting them,” said Congresswoman Ross. “No athlete – whether they play sports for fun or for a living – should be forced to experience the level of abuse, harassment, and violence that has become unacceptably common in sports today. The time for change is now, and I am proud to lead a bipartisan group of colleagues in introducing the Safer Sports for Athletes Act. This comprehensive legislation will help SafeSport live up to its promise of protecting athletes and preventing abuse and sexual violence in sports.”

“Our nation’s athletes at all ages go through extensive training and work overtime to achieve their athletic goals. Unfortunately, the prevalence of sexual abuse by some of their most trusted mentors and coaches is all too common,” said Congressman Joyce. “After extensive conversations with athletes who have used the effective SafeSport program since 2018, my colleagues and I put together the Safer Sports for Athletes Act to make necessary improvements. These revisions will ensure athlete survivors get the care they deserve and the criminals are apprehended.”

"Every athlete at every level deserves to participate in sports in a safe, harm-free environment,” said Rep. Kathy Castor. “Congress created the U.S. Center for SafeSport to protect athletes and hold abusers accountable, but it’s clear that gaps in transparency and accountability must be addressed to serve athletes better. That’s why I’m proud to introduce this bipartisan legislation with my colleagues to restore trust, strengthen safeguards and ensure every athlete can thrive in a supportive environment.”

"Athletes who have been sexually abused should be taken seriously, and abusers must be swiftly brought to justice," said Rep. Bacon, co-chair of the Congressional Soccer Caucus. “When I became Commander of Ramstein Air Force Base, I inherited a base with the highest sexual assault allegations in the U.S. Air Force and established a three-point program to address it. The program was later ranked by the Air Force as the number one sexual assault response program. I am honored to cosponsor the Safer Sports for Athletes Act of 2024, which will increase transparency in investigations and ensure more resources are invested in training individuals to address sexual abuse.”  

Congresswoman Ross’ Safer Sports for Athletes Act would strengthen SafeSport through key revisions that would improve the investigative process for athlete survivors, promote communication with national governing bodies, and revise training guidelines, all while providing SafeSport with enhanced funding. Specifically, the legislation would:

• Improve SafeSport’s investigative process by:
• Providing fair notice and opportunity to be heard to complainants;
• Protecting complainant privacy and safety and allowing for complainants to have a confidential victim advocate present in any proceedings;
• Setting a timeline for SafeSport to conclude cases or notify parties of necessary extensions; and
• Establishing preponderance of evidence as the burden of proof for SafeSport proceedings.

• Ensure the investigation process is trauma-informed by:
• Replacing SafeSport’s arbitration process with an expert panel, which would consist of experts with training in trauma-informed care and an understanding of the sport dynamics relevant to the case; and
• Allowing SafeSport to pursue investigations and sanctions without testimony from victims of sexual misconduct in extraordinary circumstances.

• Ensure national governing bodies (NGBs) have information to keep predators out of sports by:
• Enhancing the information that SafeSport provides to NGBs about reports of abuse while ensuring confidentiality of survivors; and
• Ensuring that NGBs can prevent individuals accused of sexual misconduct from participating in a sport prior to the conclusion of a SafeSport investigation without that action being considered interference in such investigation.

• Change sports culture and prioritize prevention by:
• Improving training materials by requiring them to be regularly updated, developed with experts in sexual abuse prevention and athlete survivors, and be trauma-informed using best practices; and
• Requiring for the first time an investment in prevention by creating a floor of no less than 20% of SafeSport’s funding to be used for prevention efforts and strategies in amateur athletics, including training, oversight practices, and policies to help create a lasting culture change.

The Safer Sports for Athletes Act has been endorsed by 47 organizations and individuals dedicated to preventing and addressing abuse in sports, along with the 54 Member State Associations of U.S. Youth Soccer. It has also been endorsed by U.S. Soccer and CHILDUSA.

Full text of the bill is available here. A section-by-section summary is available here.