[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4988 Introduced in House (IH)]






108th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 4988

  To amend title 36, United States Code, to require the observance of 
    certain labor standards by companies that enter into licensing 
          agreements with the United States Olympic Committee.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 22, 2004

   Ms. Schakowsky (for herself, Mr. George Miller of California, Mr. 
 Grijalva, Mr. Strickland, Mr. Hinchey, Mr. Evans, Mr. Owens, Ms. Lee, 
  Mr. Olver, Mr. McGovern, Ms. Waters, Mr. DeFazio, and Mr. Pallone) 
 introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
                             the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To amend title 36, United States Code, to require the observance of 
    certain labor standards by companies that enter into licensing 
          agreements with the United States Olympic Committee.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Play Fair at the Olympics Act''.

SEC. 2. LABOR STANDARDS AND OBSERVANCE.

    (a) Labor Standards and Observance.--Subchapter I of chapter 2205 
of title 36, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the 
following new section:
``Sec. 220513. Labor standards and observance
    ``The corporation shall--
            ``(1) require, as a condition of a licensing agreement, 
        that a company licensed by the corporation, including a 
        subcontractor or supplier of such company--
                    ``(A) observe internationally recognized worker 
                rights; and
                    ``(B) submit to arbitration for the resolution of 
                an allegation of a violation of such rights that is 
                alleged to have occurred in such company, or in a 
                subcontractor or supplier of such company;
            ``(2) include the following language in licensing 
        agreements with companies to which the corporation is a party: 
        `The licensee agrees not to take any action to prevent 
        employees of the licensee from exercising their internationally 
        recognized worker rights or to interfere with, coerce, or 
        restrain employees in the exercise of such rights. The licensee 
        further agrees to observe applicable domestic laws and 
        International Labor Organization declarations and conventions 
        relating to internationally recognized worker rights, including 
        rights relating to the freedom of association and to collective 
        bargaining, a minimum age for employment of children, minimum 
        wages and maximum hours of work, occupational health and safety 
        standards, and prohibitions against forced labor and workplace 
        discrimination. The licensee further agrees to submit to 
        arbitration for the resolution of an allegation of a violation 
        of internationally recognized worker rights that is alleged to 
        have occurred in such licensee. For purposes of this licensing 
        agreement, the term `licensee' includes a subcontractor or 
        supplier of the licensee.';
            ``(3) publish quarterly the names of all companies, 
        including subcontractors and suppliers of such companies, that 
        produce goods pursuant to licensing agreements with the 
        corporation;
            ``(4) establish a fund to which one percent of all fees 
        earned pursuant to licensing agreements with companies to which 
        the corporation is a party shall be contributed for the 
        creation and maintenance of an independent body to 
        expeditiously investigate and, if necessary, to expeditiously 
        arbitrate, allegations of violations of internationally 
        recognized worker rights that are alleged to have occurred in 
        such companies, or in subcontractors or suppliers of such 
        companies; and
            ``(5) cancel a licensing agreement with a company if such 
        company, or a subcontractor or supplier of such company, 
        violates an arbitration ruling made pursuant to paragraph (4) 
        against such company, or against a subcontractor or supplier of 
        such company, relating to a violation of internationally 
        recognized worker rights.''.
    (b) Definitions.--Section 220501(b) of such title is amended--
            (1) by redesignating paragraphs (6) through (8) as 
        paragraphs (7) through (9) respectively; and
            (2) by inserting after paragraph (5) the following new 
        paragraph:
            ``(6) `internationally recognized worker rights' means the 
        rights of workers specified in International Labor Organization 
        declarations and conventions, including the Declaration on 
        Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work, including--
                    ``(A) the freedom of association and the right to 
                collective bargaining;
                    ``(B) the elimination of forced and compulsory 
                labor;
                    ``(C) the abolition of child labor;
                    ``(D) the elimination of discrimination in the 
                workplace; and
                    ``(E) the establishment of and adherence to--
                            ``(i) a minimum age for employment of 
                        children;
                            ``(ii) minimum wages and maximum hours of 
                        work; and
                            ``(iii) occupational health and safety 
                        standards.''.
    (c) Effective Date.--The amendment made by this section shall apply 
to licensing agreements with companies that are entered into by the 
United States Olympic Committee on or after the date that is 30 days 
after the date of the enactment of this Act.
    (d) Clerical Amendment to Table of Sections.--The table of sections 
at the beginning of such subchapter is amended by adding at the end the 
following new item:

``220513. Labor standards and observance.''.
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