[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 24 (Wednesday, February 7, 2018)]
[Senate]
[Page S707]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





 SENATE RESOLUTION 396--TO ESTABLISH A SPECIAL COMMITTEE OF THE SENATE 
    TO ADDRESS SEXUAL ABUSE WITHIN UNITED STATES OLYMPIC GYMNASTICS

  Mrs. SHAHEEN (for herself, Mrs. Ernst, Mrs. Gillibrand, Ms. Stabenow, 
Mr. Sanders, Ms. Hassan, Mr. Van Hollen, Ms. Cortez Masto, Ms. Baldwin, 
Ms. Warren, Mr. Tillis, Ms. Klobuchar, Mr. Wyden, Mr. Isakson, Mr. 
Scott, Mr. Daines, Ms. Smith, and Mr. Burr) submitted the following 
resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Rules and 
Administration:

                              S. Res. 396

       Resolved,

     SECTION 1. ESTABLISHMENT OF THE SPECIAL COMMITTEE.

       (a) Establishment.--There is established a special 
     committee of the Senate to be known as the Special Committee 
     to Investigate Sexual Abuse Within United States Olympic 
     Gymnastics (hereafter in this resolution referred to as the 
     ``special committee'').
       (b) Purpose.--The purpose of the special committee is--
       (1) to investigate the United States Olympic Committee and 
     national sports governing bodies, including USA Gymnastics, 
     and determine the extent to which these organizations were 
     complicit in the criminal or negligent behavior of their 
     employees relating to sexual abuse;
       (2) to identify and recommend solutions to the systemic 
     failures at the United States Olympic Committee and national 
     sports governing bodies, including USA Gymnastics, that 
     allowed for pervasive sexual abuse to continue for decades;
       (3) to identify actions that must be taken by the United 
     States Olympic Committee and national sports governing 
     bodies, including USA Gymnastics, to ensure increased 
     transparency and protections for children, athletes, and 
     their families;
       (4) to make such findings of fact as are warranted and 
     appropriate; and
       (5) to make such recommendations, including recommendations 
     for new legislation and amendments to existing laws and any 
     administrative or other actions, as the special committee may 
     determine to be necessary or desirable.
       (c) Limitation.--No proposed legislation shall be referred 
     to the special committee, and the special committee shall not 
     have power to report by bill or otherwise have legislative 
     jurisdiction.
       (d) Treatment as Standing Committee.--For purposes of 
     paragraphs 1, 2, 7(a)(1), 7(a)(2), and 10(a) of rule XXVI and 
     rule XXVII of the Standing Rules of the Senate, and 
     subsections (i) and (j) of section 202 of the Legislative 
     Reorganization Act of 1946 (2 U.S.C. 4301), the special 
     committee shall be treated as a standing committee of the 
     Senate.

     SEC. 2. MEMBERSHIP AND ORGANIZATION OF THE SPECIAL COMMITTEE.

       (a) Membership.--
       (1) In general.--The special committee shall consist of 8 
     members of the Senate, of whom--
       (A) 4 shall be appointed by the President pro tempore of 
     the Senate from the majority party of the Senate upon the 
     recommendation of the Majority Leader of the Senate; and
       (B) 4 shall be appointed by the President pro tempore of 
     the Senate from the minority party of the Senate upon the 
     recommendation of the Minority Leader of the Senate.
       (2) Composition.--Not less than 4 of the members appointed 
     under paragraph (1) shall be women.
       (3) Vacancies.--Any vacancy in the membership of the 
     special committee shall--
       (A) not affect the authority of the remaining members to 
     execute the functions of the special committee; and
       (B) be filled in the same manner as original appointments 
     to the special committee are made.
       (4) Service.--For the purpose of paragraph 4 of rule XXV of 
     the Standing Rules of the Senate, service of a Senator as a 
     member, chair, or vice chair of the special committee shall 
     not be taken into account.
       (b) Chair and Vice Chair.--
       (1) In general.--The chair of the special committee shall 
     be selected by the Majority Leader of the Senate and the vice 
     chair of the special committee shall be selected by the 
     Minority Leader of the Senate.
       (2) Vice chair duties.--The vice chair shall discharge such 
     responsibilities as the special committee or the chair may 
     assign.

     SEC. 3. AUTHORITY OF SPECIAL COMMITTEE.

       (a) In General.--For the purposes of this resolution, the 
     special committee may--
       (1) make expenditures from the contingent fund of the 
     Senate;
       (2) employ personnel;
       (3) hold hearings;
       (4) sit and act at any time or place during the sessions, 
     recesses, and adjourned periods of the Senate;
       (5) require, by subpoena or otherwise, the attendance of 
     witnesses and the production of correspondence, books, 
     papers, and documents;
       (6) take depositions and other testimony;
       (7) issue interim reports, as necessary;
       (8) procure the services of individual consultations or 
     organizations thereof in accordance with the provisions of 
     section 202(i) of the Legislative Reorganization Act of 1946 
     (2 U.S.C. 4301(i)); and
       (9) with the prior consent of the Federal department or 
     agency concerned and the Committee on Rules and 
     Administration, use on a nonreimbursable basis the services 
     of personnel of the Federal department or agency.
       (b) Oaths for Witnesses.--The chair or any member of the 
     special committee may administer oaths to witnesses.
       (c) Subpoenas.--A subpoena authorized by the special 
     committee may be--
       (1) issued over the signature of--
       (A) the chair after consultation with the vice chair; or
       (B) any member of the special committee designated by the 
     chair after consultation with the vice chair; and
       (2) served by any person designated by the chair or the 
     member signing the subpoena.
       (d) Access of Members to Information.--Each member of the 
     special committee shall have equal and unimpeded access to 
     information collected or otherwise obtained by the special 
     committee.

     SEC. 4. REPORT AND TERMINATION.

       (a) Report.--The special committee shall report the 
     findings of the special committee, together with such 
     recommendations as the special committee deems advisable, to 
     the Senate not later than the last day of the first session 
     of the 116th Congress.
       (b) Records.--Upon termination of the special committee, 
     all records, files, documents, and other materials in the 
     possession, custody, or control of the special committee 
     shall be transferred to the Secretary of the Senate under 
     appropriate conditions established by the special committee, 
     including conditions to protect information under the HIPAA 
     privacy and security law, as defined in section 3009(a) of 
     the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 300jj-19(a)).

     SEC. 5. FUNDING.

       From the date on which this resolution is agreed to through 
     the termination of the special committee, the special 
     committee shall use such funds as necessary to carry out the 
     duties of the special committee.

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