[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 169 (Tuesday, September 29, 2020)]
[House]
[Pages H4998-H4999]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
UNITED STATES ANTI-DOPING AGENCY REAUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2020
Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 5373) to reauthorize the United States Anti-Doping Agency,
and for other purposes, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 5373
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 ``United States Anti-Doping
Agency Reauthorization Act of 2020''.
SEC. 2. PROMOTION OF YOUTH SPORTS.
Section 701(b) of the Office of National Drug Control
Policy Reauthorization Act of 2006 (21 U.S.C. 2001(b)) is
amended--
(1) in paragraph (4), by striking the period at the end and
inserting ``; and''; and
(2) by adding at the end the following:
``(5) promote a positive youth sport experience by using a
portion of its funding to provide educational materials on
sportsmanship, character building, and healthy performance
for athletes, parents, and coaches participating in youth
sports.''.
SEC. 3. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
Section 703 of the Office of National Drug Control Policy
Reauthorization Act of 2006 (21 U.S.C. 2003) is amended to
read as follows:
``SEC. 703. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
``There are authorized to be appropriated to the United
States Anti-Doping Agency--
``(1) for fiscal year 2021, $15,500,000;
``(2) for fiscal year 2022, $16,200,000;
``(3) for fiscal year 2023, $16,900,000;
``(4) for fiscal year 2024, $17,700,000;
``(5) for fiscal year 2025, $18,500,000;
``(6) for fiscal year 2026, $21,900,000;
``(7) for fiscal year 2027, $22,800,000;
``(8) for fiscal year 2028, $24,900,000; and
``(9) for fiscal year 2029, $23,700,000.''.
SEC. 4. COORDINATION AND SHARING OF INFORMATION WITH USADA.
(a) Information Sharing.--Except as otherwise prohibited by
law and except in cases in which the integrity of a criminal
investigation would be affected, in furtherance of the
obligation of the United States under Article 7 of the
Convention, the Attorney General, the Secretary of Homeland
Security, and the Commissioner of Food and Drugs shall
coordinate with the United States Anti-Doping Agency with
regard to any effort to prevent the use of performance-
enhancing drugs or prohibit performance-enhancing methods by
sharing with the United States Anti-Doping Agency all
information which may be relevant to preventing the use of
such performance-enhancing drugs or prohibiting such
performance-enhancing methods.
(b) Convention Defined.--In this section, the term
``Convention'' means the United Nations Educational,
Scientific, and Cultural Organization International
Convention Against Doping in Sport done at Paris October 19,
2005, and ratified by the United States in 2008.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from New
Jersey (Mr. Pallone) and the gentleman from Oregon (Mr. Walden) each
will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New Jersey.
General Leave
Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks
and include extraneous material on H.R. 5373.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from New Jersey?
There was no objection.
Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
I rise today in support of H.R. 5373, the United States Anti-Doping
Agency Reauthorization Act of 2020.
For two decades, Madam Speaker, the United States Anti-Doping Agency,
or USADA, has worked to ensure integrity in our American Olympic and
Paralympic sporting activities.
In the 1990s, countries around the world viewed American athletes as
dirty and only winning because they were doping.
In an effort to bring credibility back to the United States, an
Olympic committee task force recommended that an independent
organization be created to conduct a comprehensive antidoping program.
In 2000, Congress acted on this recommendation and gave USADA the
authority to manage this comprehensive antidoping program.
Since then, USADA has performed hundreds of thousands of tests and
contributed to the advancement of clean sports through scientific
research, antidoping education, and outreach programs.
In order to enable USADA to continue this work, H.R. 5373 would
extend and increase the authorization level and empower the
organization to encourage a positive sporting environment for youth by
way of promoting educational materials on sportsmanship, character
building, and healthy performance. By advancing this bill, we will send
a strong message to young athletes about the importance of integrity,
respect, and responsibility in sports.
The bill also improves antidoping efforts in the U.S. by encouraging
Federal agencies to coordinate and share
[[Page H4999]]
information with the USADA to prevent the use of performance-enhancing
drugs and methods.
Taken together, these actions will make positive improvements to the
good work USADA is already doing. And passage takes on additional
importance as USADA gears up for the 2028 Summer Olympic and Paralympic
Games in Los Angeles.
Before I conclude, Madam Speaker, I thank my colleagues,
Representatives Mike Thompson, Bill Johnson, and Diana DeGette, for
leading this important legislation. I also thank our Ranking Member
Walden and all the members and staff of our committees for their
efforts to move this legislation forward in a bipartisan manner.
So, Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I
reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. WALDEN. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
I rise today to speak in support of H.R. 5373, as did the chairman,
the United States Anti-Doping Agency Reauthorization Act, sponsored by
Representatives Mike Thompson, Bill Johnson, and Diana DeGette.
This bill reauthorizes the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency, which is the
national entity charged with administering antidoping programs for the
United States for Olympic, Paralympic, Pan American, and Parapan
American sports.
The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency handles in-competition and out-of-
competition testing, results management processes, drug reference
resources, and athlete education for all of our United States Olympic
and Paralympic Committee-recognized sports' national governing bodies,
their athletes, and their events. USADA is also the administrator for
the Ultimate Fighting Championship Anti-Doping Program.
Reauthorizing this important agency furthers the advancement of clean
sports, fair games, and positive sportsmanship, so I urge support of
the legislation.
I don't believe I have any speakers on my side of the aisle, Madam
Speaker, so I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I urge support for the legislation, and I
yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. THOMPSON of California. Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong
support of H.R. 5373, my bipartisan legislation reauthorizing the
United States Anti-Doping Agency.
As you know, USADA is recognized by Congress as the official
antidoping agency for Olympic, Paralympic, and other sporting
competitions in the United States. Among other responsibilities, USADA
conducts drug testing for athletes, manages test results, and pursues
bad actors who seek to undermine the principles of clean and fair sport
through the use of illicit or banned substances.
Current funding for USADA expires this year. My legislation, authored
with Representatives Johnson (R-OH) and DeGette (D-CO), would
reauthorize USADA through Fiscal Year 2027. The bill also provides a
slight funding boost beginning in 2026, to allow USADA to prepare for
the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.
In addition, this legislation would require USADA to devote a portion
of its funding to clean sport initiatives for young athletes, and
authorizes the Department of Justice and other federal agencies to
cooperate with USADA in the course of its investigations.
As recent doping scandals have shown--particularly in the world of
cycling--the abuse of performance enhancing drugs often begins at a
young age.
Many young athletes, especially those with promising careers, face
enormous pressure to gain any competitive edge available to them--
including pressure from coaches, trainers, parents and other adults. It
is critical that these young competitors have the education and
resources they need to surmount that pressure, stay clean, and stay
healthy.
I am grateful to my colleagues on the Energy and Commerce Committee
for advancing this legislation to the Floor, and I urge my colleagues
to vote Yes.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pallone) that the House suspend the
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 5373, as amended.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
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