[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 23 (Thursday, March 3, 2005)]
[Senate]
[Page S2044]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. GRASSLEY (for himself, Mr. Biden, Mr. McCain, and Mr. 
        Stevens):
  S. 529. A bill to designate a United States Anti-Doping Agency; to 
the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
  Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, America is a nation of sports fans and 
sports players. In fact, it is hard to imagine something more 
influential in today's society than athletics. As children, we grow up 
emulating our favorite players in the backyard. Year in and year out we 
watch and hope that this is the year our favorite team makes it to the 
Super Bowl, the World Series, or the Big Dance. And every 4 years we 
watch in pride and tally the medals as American athletes compete in the 
Olympic games.
  Every day millions of young people from across the country share the 
same dream of one day playing in the big leagues. But the reality is 
that most will never get the chance. In an average year, there are 
approximately 2 million high school boys playing football, baseball, 
and basketball. Another 68,000 men are playing the sports in college 
and 2,500 are participating at the major/professional level. In short, 
only 1 in 736, or 0.14 percent will ever play professional sports.
  With that kind of competition, compounded by the lure of fame, 
endorsements and multi-million dollar contracts, an increasing number 
of young athletes are giving in to the seduction of performance 
enhancing drugs hoping to gain an edge on their peers. And what can you 
expect when some of the biggest superstars in sports have been found 
using steroids as a way to improve their performance. But, unlike 
better athletic gear, better nutrition, and better training, injecting 
and ingesting performance enhancing drugs as a shortcut to the big 
leagues jeopardizes the health and safety of young athletes and 
cheapens the legitimacy of competition.
  In an effort to combat the use of performance enhancing drugs at the 
youth and amateur sports level, I am pleased to be joined by my 
colleagues Senator Biden, Senator McCain and Senator Stevens in 
introducing legislation to authorize continued Federal funding for the 
United States Anti-Doping Agency, USADA. As the anti-doping agency for 
the United States Olympic movement since 2000, USADA is responsible for 
ensuring that U.S. athletes participating in Olympic competition do not 
use performance enhancing drugs. Through its efforts, USADA is 
establishing a drug free standard for amateur athletic competition. 
This is achieved through testing, research, education, and 
adjudication.
  USADA conducts nearly 6,500 random drug tests on athletes annually 
and has made anti-doping presentations to over 3,000 athletes and 
coaches last year alone. Over the last 2 years, USADA has worked to 
prevent U.S. Olympic athletes who have used banned substances from 
participating in the Olympic Games. But for the efforts of USADA, it is 
possible that more than a dozen elite U.S. athletes would have 
participated in the Athens Games last Summer and potentially 
embarrassed the U.S. once their drug use was exposed. USADA also works 
to fund research, including more than $3 million in grants for anti-
doping research over the past 2 years, which is more than any other 
anti-doping agency in the world. The research and testing standards 
serve as models for other amateur athletic associations who wish to 
protect the health of their athletes and the fair competition of sport.
  To date, the Federal Government has provided approximately 60 percent 
of USADA's operational budget, with the remainder of the agency's 
budget provided by the U.S. Olympic Committee and private funding 
sources. With continued support and proper funding, USADA could expand 
and improve upon the programs for anti-doping that already exist and 
continue to enhance the credibility of U.S. athletes in the eyes of the 
international sports community.
  While the issue of anabolic steroids has received a great deal of 
national and international attention in the context of professional 
sports, the importance of stopping steroid abuse extends far beyond the 
track, baseball diamond, or football field. Instead our focus should be 
on the health and future of our children. I encourage my colleagues to 
join in support of this legislation to set the standard for free and 
fair competition.
  Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that the text of this bill be 
printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the bill was ordered to be printed in the 
Record, as follows:

                                 S. 529

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

     SECTION 1. DESIGNATION OF UNITED STATES ANTI-DOPING AGENCY.

       (a) Definitions.--In this Act:
       (1) United states olympic committee.--The term ``United 
     States Olympic Committee'' means the organization established 
     by the ``Ted Stevens Olympic and Amateur Sports Act'' (36 
     U.S.C. 220501 et seq.).
       (2) Amateur athletic competition.--The term ``amateur 
     athletic competition'' means a contest, game, meet, match, 
     tournament, regatta, or other event in which amateur athletes 
     compete (36 U.S.C. 220501(b)(2)).
       (3) Amateur athlete.--The term ``amateur athlete'' means 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 (36 U.S.C. 
     22501(b)(1)).
       (b) In General.--The United States Anti-Doping Agency 
     shall--
       (1) serve as the independent anti-doping organization for 
     the amateur athletic competitions recognized by the United 
     States Olympic Committee;
       (2) ensure that athletes participating in amateur athletic 
     activities recognized by the United States Olympic Committee 
     are prevented from using performance-enhancing drugs;
       (3) implement anti-doping education, research, testing, and 
     adjudication programs to prevent United States Amateur 
     Athletes participating in any activity recognized by the 
     United States Olympic Committee from using performance-
     enhancing drugs; and
       (4) serve as the United States representative responsible 
     for coordination with other anti-doping organizations 
     coordinating amateur athletic competitions recognized by the 
     United States Olympic Committee to ensure the integrity of 
     athletic competition, the health of the athletes and the 
     prevention of use of performance-enhancing drugs by United 
     States amateur athletes.

     SEC. 2. RECORDS, AUDIT, AND REPORT.

       (a) Records.--The United States Anti-Doping Agency shall 
     keep correct and complete records of account.
       (b) Report.--The United States Anti-Doping Agency shall 
     submit an annual report to Congress which shall include--
       (1) an audit conducted and submitted in accordance with 
     section 10101 of title 36, United States Code; and
       (2) a description of the activities of the agency.

     SEC. 3. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

       There are authorized to be appropriated to the United 
     States Anti-Doping Agency--
       (1) for fiscal year 2006, $9,500,000;
       (2) for fiscal year 2007, $9,900,000;
       (3) for fiscal year 2008, $10,500,000;
       (4) for fiscal year 2009, $10,800,000; and
       (5) for fiscal year 2010, $11,100,000.

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