Page 1 GAO-25-107975 U.S. Center for SafeSport
June 5, 2025
Congressional Committees
Amateur Athlete Safety: Certification Related to the Independence of the U.S. Center for
SafeSport for Fiscal Year 2024
The U.S. Center for SafeSport (the Center), established in 2017, is a nonprofit organization that
plays a key role in ensuring the safety of amateur athletes. Many of these athletes are minors
who participate in Olympic, Paralympic, Pan-American, and Parapan American events and
training.
1
The Center has jurisdiction over the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee (the
Corporation) and national governing bodies (amateur sports organizations recognized or
certified by the Corporation for a sport included in the Olympic, Paralympic, Pan-American, or
Parapan American Games) with regard to safeguarding amateur athletes against abuse in
sports.
2
The Center is required to develop training, policies, and procedures to prevent abuse of
amateur athletes, among other activities. Also, the Center is responsible for investigating and
resolving allegations of sexual misconduct by coaches, trainers, managers, peers, and others in
violation of the Center’s policies and procedures. In addition, the Center may, at its discretion,
investigate and resolve allegations of other policy violations, including nonsexual child abuse as
well as emotional and physical misconduct.
3
The Empowering Olympic, Paralympic, and Amateur Athletes Act of 2020 (EOPAAA) made
several amendments to the Ted Stevens Olympic and Amateur Sports Act.
4
Among other
things, the EOPAAA prohibits former employees or board members of the Corporation or a
national governing body from working or volunteering at the Center for 2 years after their
1
Under the Ted Stevens Olympic and Amateur Sports Act, an amateur sports organization means a not-for-profit
corporation, association, or other group organized in the United States that sponsors or arranges an amateur athletic
competition. 36 U.S.C. § 220501(b)(3). An amateur athlete is 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. The U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee (Corporation) recognizes or certifies one national governing
body per sport (e.g., USA Archery, USA Boxing). In this report, we use the term national governing body to include
the Corporation’s 51 recognized or certified national governing bodies and Paralympic sports organizations the
Center reported to us in January 2025. In addition, nine sports internally managed by the Corporation are not
included in our count of national governing bodies.
2
See 36 U.S.C. §§ 220541-220543.
3
For more information on the Center’s response and resolution process for reports of abuse, see GAO, Amateur
Athletes: The U.S. Center for SafeSport’s Response and Resolution Process for Reporting Abuse, GAO-21-128R
(Washington, D.C.: Dec. 18, 2020).
4
Pub. L. No. 116-189, 134 Stat. 943. The EOPAAA was enacted on October 30, 2020.
