Congressional legislation aims to improve investigations into abuse in sports

A Nebraska congressman is sponsoring legislation intended to bolster protocols for the organization that handles cases of abuse in sports.

The U.S. Center for Safe Sport was founded and passed into law in 2017 to provide a reporting avenue for survivors of sexual assault and other forms of abuse in U.S. Olympic programs.

The new bill aims to improve the current reporting system.

Rep. Don Bacon and a bipartisan group of lawmakers are proposing a $10 million investment and increased requirements for the U.S. Center for Safe Sport.

Legislators said the Center was created with good intentions but haven’t achieved its mission, yet.

Angie Lund is a survivor of sexual abuse who recently reported the incident to the Center for Safe Sport.

“My investigator did not complete her final draft of the report for over two years. This waiting period caused stress, anxiety, depression and frustration,” Lund said.

The proposed bill would require the Center to complete investigations in six months. It would also invest in training and trauma-informed investigation practices to prevent further harm to victims.

Grace French is with the Army of Survivors, an organization working to end sexual abuse in sports. She also survived sexual abuse as an athlete.

Athletes' commitment to their sport and trust with people in power is manipulated too often, French said.

“This is why this bill is so critical. It is about more than fixing broken systems,” French said. “It's about creating a culture where athletes are protected, believed and supported when they speak up. It's about ensuring survivor stories are not just heard but acted upon.”

Advocates and survivors took it up themselves to improve the reporting system that wasn’t achieving the best results, French said.

The House has just eight full days remaining in this year’s session. Representatives say the bill has interest from both sides of the aisle in the Senate.