House panel bill to crack down on steroids
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Legislation to combat illegal use of steroids and other performance-enhancing drugs in professional sports leagues won the approval on Wednesday of a U.S. congressional committee.
On a 38-2 vote, the U.S. House of Representatives Energy and Commerce Committee approved the measure, which would create minimum standards for drug testing and provide for a lifetime suspension for a third offense.
The measure would cover Major League Baseball, National Basketball Association, Arena Football League, National Hockey League, National Football League and Major League Soccer.
The bill now goes to the House Education and Workforce Committee which will look at provisions dealing with amateur sports before it heads to the full House for anticipated passage.
Under the measure, the Government Accountability Office would study college and high school drug testing policies to make a recommendation on whether they need to be covered by the rest of the legislation.
Efforts have been under way to craft a similar measure in the Senate, which would have to pass the bill before President Bush could sign it into law.
Bush, a former part owner of the Texas Rangers baseball team, has urged pro sports to rid itself of illegal drugs.
The administration has cited health risks as well as the message that drug use sends to children who admire athletes.
“I am not naive enough to believe that we can work a miracle overnight by passing a bill,” said Committee Chairman Joe Barton, a Texas Republican.
“But applying these minimum standards - some of which are already met by the sports - to our most visible professional athletes will ensure integrity and set the standard for our youth,” Barton said.
Committee approval of the bill followed congressional hearings this year that featured players, union and league officials.
Designed to toughen existing policies, the bill would direct the U.S. commerce secretary to require pro sports to adopt and enforce some specific drug-testing standards.
The secretary would consult with the director of the National Institute of Drug Abuse to develop a list of prohibited substances, issuing criteria for therapeutic use exemptions as well as for testing and analysis.
The bill would create a number of requirements, including: random testing of each athlete at least five times a year; testing for substances on the prohibited list issued by the World Anti-Doping Agency in consultation with the Food and Drug Administration; the testing must be administered by an independent party, and provide for an appeals process.
“This bill will send a strong and clear signal to our younger athletes that steroids are the tools of the cheater, not a quick fix to get to the top,” said U.S. Rep. Cliff Stearns, a Florida Republican and the bill’s author.
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