TITLE 36 - US CODE - SUBCHAPTER II - NATIONAL GOVERNING BODIES

36 USC 220521 - Recognition of amateur sports organizations as national governing bodies

(a) General Authority.—
For any sport which is included on the program of the Olympic Games, the Paralympic Games, or the Pan-American Games, the corporation is authorized to recognize as a national governing body (in the case of a sport on the program of the Olympic Games or Pan-American Games) or as a paralympic sports organization (in the case of a sport on the program of the Paralympic Games for which a national governing body has not been designated under section 220522 (b)) an amateur sports organization which files an application and is eligible for such recognition in accordance with the provisions of subsection (a) or (b) of section 220522. The corporation may recognize only one national governing body for each sport for which an application is made and approved, except as provided in section 220522 (b) with respect to a paralympic sports organization.

(b) Public Hearing.—
Before recognizing an organization as a national governing body, the corporation shall hold at least 2 public hearings on the application. The corporation shall publish notice of the time, place, and nature of the hearings. Publication shall be made in a regular issue of the corporations principal publication at least 30 days, but not more than 60 days, before the date of the hearings. The corporation shall send written notice, which shall include a copy of the application, at least 30 days prior to the date of any such public hearing to all amateur sports organizations known to the corporation in that sport.

(c) Recommendation to International Sports Federation.—
Within 61 days after recognizing an organization as a national governing body, the corporation shall recommend and support in any appropriate manner the national governing body to the appropriate international sports federation as the representative of the United States for that sport.

(d) Review of Recognition.—
The corporation may review all matters related to the continued recognition of an organization as a national governing body and may take action it considers appropriate, including placing conditions on the continued recognition.

36 USC 220522 - Eligibility requirements

(a) General.—
An amateur sports organization is eligible to be recognized, or to continue to be recognized, as a national governing body only if it

(1) is incorporated under the laws of a State of the United States or the District of Columbia as a not-for-profit corporation having as its purpose the advancement of amateur athletic competition;

(2) has the managerial and financial capability to plan and execute its obligations;

(3) submits

(A) an application, in the form required by the corporation, for recognition as a national governing body;

(B) a copy of its corporate charter and bylaws; and

(4) agrees to submit to binding arbitration in any controversy involving

(A) its recognition as a national governing body, as provided for in section 220529 of this title, upon demand of the corporation; and

(B) the opportunity of any amateur athlete, coach, trainer, manager, administrator or official to participate in amateur athletic competition, upon demand of the corporation or any aggrieved amateur athlete, coach, trainer, manager, administrator or official, conducted in accordance with the Commercial Rules of the American Arbitration Association, as modified and provided for in the corporations constitution and bylaws, except that if the Athletes Advisory Council and National Governing Bodies Council do not concur on any modifications to such Rules, and if the corporations executive committee is not able to facilitate such concurrence, the Commercial Rules of Arbitration shall apply unless at least two-thirds of the corporations board of directors approves modifications to such Rules;

(5) demonstrates that it is autonomous in the governance of its sport, in that it

(A) independently decides and controls all matters central to governance;

(B) does not delegate decision-making and control of matters central to governance; and

(6) demonstrates that it is a member of no more than one international sports federation that governs a sport included on the program of the Olympic Games or the Pan-American Games;

(7) demonstrates that its membership is open to any individual who is an amateur athlete, coach, trainer, manager, administrator, or official active in the sport for which recognition is sought, or any amateur sports organization that conducts programs in the sport for which recognition is sought, or both;

(8) provides an equal opportunity to amateur athletes, coaches, trainers, managers, administrators, and officials to participate in amateur athletic competition, without discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, age, or national origin, and with fair notice and opportunity for a hearing to any amateur athlete, coach, trainer, manager, administrator, or official before declaring the individual ineligible to participate;

(9) is governed by a board of directors or other governing board whose members are selected without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, or sex, except that, in sports where there are separate male and female programs, it provides for reasonable representation of both males and females on the board of directors or other governing board;

(10) demonstrates, based on guidelines approved by the corporation, the Athletes Advisory Council, and the National Governing Bodies Council, that its board of directors and other such governing boards have established criteria and election procedures for and maintain among their voting members individuals who are actively engaged in amateur athletic competition in the sport for which recognition is sought or who have represented the United States in international amateur athletic competition within the preceding 10 years, that any exceptions to such guidelines by such organization have been approved by the corporation, and that the voting power held by such individuals is not less than 20 percent of the voting power held in its board of directors and other such governing boards;

(11) provides for reasonable direct representation on its board of directors or other governing board for any amateur sports organization that

(A) conducts a national program or regular national amateur athletic competition in the applicable sport on a level of proficiency appropriate for the selection of amateur athletes to represent the United States in international amateur athletic competition; and

(B) ensures that the representation reflects the nature, scope, quality, and strength of the programs and competitions of the amateur sports organization in relation to all other programs and competitions in the sport in the United States;

(12) demonstrates that none of its officers are also officers of any other amateur sports organization recognized as a national governing body;

(13) provides procedures for the prompt and equitable resolution of grievances of its members;

(14) does not have eligibility criteria related to amateur status or to participation in the Olympic Games, the Paralympic Games, or the Pan-American Games that are more restrictive than those of the appropriate international sports federation; and

(15) demonstrates, if the organization is seeking to be recognized as a national governing body, that it is prepared to meet the obligations imposed on a national governing body under sections 220524 and 220525 of this title.

(b) Recognition of Paralympic Sports Organizations.—
For any sport which is included on the program of the Paralympic Games, the corporation is authorized to designate, where feasible and when such designation would serve the best interest of the sport, and with the approval of the affected national governing body, a national governing body recognized under subsection (a) to govern such sport. Where such designation is not feasible or would not serve the best interest of the sport, the corporation is authorized to recognize another amateur sports organization as a paralympic sports organization to govern such sport, except that, notwithstanding the other requirements of this chapter, any such paralympic sports organization

(1) shall comply only with those requirements, perform those duties, and have those powers that the corporation, in its sole discretion, determines are appropriate to meet the objects and purposes of this chapter; and

(2) may, with the approval of the corporation, govern more than one sport included on the program of the Paralympic Games.

36 USC 220523 - Authority of national governing bodies

(a) Authority.—
For the sport that it governs, a national governing body may

(1) represent the United States in the appropriate international sports federation;

(2) establish national goals and encourage the attainment of those goals;

(3) serve as the coordinating body for amateur athletic activity in the United States;

(4) exercise jurisdiction over international amateur athletic activities and sanction international amateur athletic competition held in the United States and sanction the sponsorship of international amateur athletic competition held outside the United States;

(5) conduct amateur athletic competition, including national championships, and international amateur athletic competition in the United States, and establish procedures for determining eligibility standards for participation in competition, except for amateur athletic competition specified in section 220526 of this title;

(6) recommend to the corporation individuals and teams to represent the United States in the Olympic Games, the Paralympic Games, and the Pan-American Games; and

(7) designate individuals and teams to represent the United States in international amateur athletic competition (other than the Olympic Games, the Paralympic Games, and the Pan-American Games) and certify, in accordance with applicable international rules, the amateur eligibility of those individuals and teams.

(b) Replacement of National Governing Body Pursuant to Arbitration.—
A national governing body may not exercise any authority under subsection (a) of this section for a particular sport after another amateur sports organization has been declared (in accordance with binding arbitration proceedings prescribed by the organic documents of the corporation) entitled to replace that national governing body as the member of the corporation for that sport.

36 USC 220524 - General duties of national governing bodies

For the sport that it governs, a national governing body shall

(1) develop interest and participation throughout the United States and be responsible to the persons and amateur sports organizations it represents;

(2) minimize, through coordination with other amateur sports organizations, conflicts in the scheduling of all practices and competitions;

(3) keep amateur athletes informed of policy matters and reasonably reflect the views of the athletes in its policy decisions;

(4) disseminate and distribute to amateur athletes, coaches, trainers, managers, administrators, and officials in a timely manner the applicable rules and any changes to such rules of the national governing body, the corporation, the appropriate international sports federation, the International Olympic Committee, the International Paralympic Committee, and the Pan-American Sports Organization;

(5) allow an amateur athlete to compete in any international amateur athletic competition conducted by any amateur sports organization or person, unless the national governing body establishes that its denial is based on evidence that the organization or person conducting the competition does not meet the requirements stated in section 220525 of this title;

(6) provide equitable support and encouragement for participation by women where separate programs for male and female athletes are conducted on a national basis;

(7) encourage and support amateur athletic sports programs for individuals with disabilities and the participation of individuals with disabilities in amateur athletic activity, including, where feasible, the expansion of opportunities for meaningful participation by individuals with disabilities in programs of athletic competition for able-bodied individuals;

(8) provide and coordinate technical information on physical training, equipment design, coaching, and performance analysis; and

(9) encourage and support research, development, and dissemination of information in the areas of sports medicine and sports safety.

36 USC 220525 - Granting sanctions for amateur athletic competitions

(a) Prompt Review and Decision.—
For the sport that it governs, a national governing body promptly shall

(1) review a request by an amateur sports organization or person for a sanction to hold an international amateur athletic competition in the United States or to sponsor United States amateur athletes to compete in international amateur athletic competition outside the United States; and

(2) grant the sanction if

(A) the national governing body does not decide by clear and convincing evidence that holding or sponsoring an international amateur athletic competition would be detrimental to the best interest of the sport; and

(B) the requirements of subsection (b) of this section are met.

(b) Requirements.—
An amateur sports organization or person may be granted a sanction under this section only if the organization or person meets the following requirements:

(1) The organization or person must pay the national governing body any required sanctioning fee, if the fee is reasonable and nondiscriminatory.

(2) For a sanction to hold an international amateur athletic competition in the United States, the organization or person must

(A) submit to the national governing body an audited or notarized financial report of similar events, if any, conducted by the organization or person; and

(B) demonstrate that the requirements of paragraph (4) of this subsection have been met.

(3) For a sanction to sponsor United States amateur athletes to compete in international amateur athletic competition outside the United States, the organization or person must

(A) submit a report of the most recent trip to a foreign country, if any, that the organization or person sponsored for the purpose of having United States amateur athletes compete in international amateur athletic competition; and

(B) submit a letter from the appropriate entity that will hold the international amateur athletic competition certifying that the requirements of paragraph (4) of this subsection have been met.

(4) The requirements referred to in paragraphs (2) and (3) of this subsection are that

(A) appropriate measures have been taken to protect the amateur status of athletes who will take part in the competition and to protect their eligibility to compete in amateur athletic competition;

(B) appropriate provision has been made for validation of any records established during the competition;

(C) due regard has been given to any international amateur athletic requirements specifically applicable to the competition;

(D) the competition will be conducted by qualified officials;

(E) proper medical supervision will be provided for athletes who will participate in the competition; and

(F) proper safety precautions have been taken to protect the personal welfare of the athletes and spectators at the competition.

36 USC 220526 - Restricted amateur athletic competitions

(a) Exclusive Jurisdiction.—
An amateur sports organization that conducts amateur athletic competition shall have exclusive jurisdiction over that competition if participation is restricted to a specific class of amateur athletes, such as high school students, college students, members of the Armed Forces, or similar groups or categories.

(b) Sanctions for International Competition.—
An amateur sports organization under subsection (a) of this section shall obtain a sanction from the appropriate national governing body if the organization wishes to

(1) conduct international amateur athletic competition in the United States; or

(2) sponsor international amateur athletic competition to be held outside the United States.

36 USC 220527 - Complaints against national governing bodies

(a) General.—

(1) An amateur sports organization or person that belongs to or is eligible to belong to a national governing body may seek to compel the national governing body to comply with sections 220522, 220524, and 220525 of this title by filing a written complaint with the corporation. A copy of the complaint shall be served on the national governing body.

(2) The corporation shall establish procedures for the filing and disposition of complaints under this section.

(b) Exhaustion of Remedies.—

(1) An organization or person may file a complaint under subsection (a) of this section only after exhausting all available remedies within the national governing body for correcting deficiencies, unless it can be shown by clear and convincing evidence that those remedies would have resulted in unnecessary delay.

(2) Within 30 days after a complaint is filed, the corporation shall decide whether the organization or person has exhausted all available remedies as required by paragraph (1) of this subsection. If the corporation determines that the remedies have not been exhausted, it may direct that the remedies be pursued before the corporation considers the complaint further.

(c) Hearings.—
If the corporation decides that all available remedies have been exhausted as required by subsection (b)(1) of this section, it shall hold a hearing, within 90 days after the complaint is filed, to receive testimony to decide whether the national governing body is complying with sections 220522, 220524, and 220525 of this title.

(d) Disposition of Complaint.—

(1) If the corporation decides, as a result of the hearing, that the national governing body is complying with sections 220522, 220524, and 220525 of this title, it shall so notify the complainant and the national governing body.

(2) If the corporation decides, as a result of the hearing, that the national governing body is not complying with sections 220522, 220524, and 220525 of this title, it shall

(A) place the national governing body on probation for a specified period of time, not to exceed 180 days, which the corporation considers necessary to enable the national governing body to comply with those sections; or

(B) revoke the recognition of the national governing body.

(3) If the corporation places a national governing body on probation under paragraph (2) of this subsection, it may extend the probationary period if the national governing body has proven by clear and convincing evidence that, through no fault of its own, it needs additional time to comply with sections 220522, 220524, and 220525 of this title. If, at the end of the period allowed by the corporation, the national governing body has not complied with those sections, the corporation shall revoke the recognition of the national governing body.

36 USC 220528 - Applications to replace an incumbent national governing body

(a) General.—
An amateur sports organization may seek to replace an incumbent as the national governing body for a particular sport by filing a written application for recognition with the corporation.

(b) Establishment of Procedures.—
The corporation shall establish procedures for the filing and disposition of applications under this section. If 2 or more organizations file applications for the same sport, the applications shall be considered in a single proceeding.

(1) An application under this section must be filed within one year after the final day of

(A) any Olympic Games, for a sport in which competition is held in the Olympic Games or the Paralympic Games, or in both the Olympic and Pan-American Games; or

(B) any Pan-American Games, for a sport in which competition is held in the Pan-American Games but not in the Olympic Games.

(2) The application shall be filed with the corporation by certified mail, and a copy of the application shall be served on the national governing body and with any other organization that has filed an application. The corporation shall inform the applicant that its application has been received.

(d) Hearings.—
Within 180 days after receipt of an application filed under this section, the corporation shall conduct a formal hearing open to the public to determine the merits of the application. The corporation shall publish notice of the time and place of the hearing in a regular issue of its principal publication at least 30 days, but not more than 60 days, before the date of the hearing. The corporation also shall send written notice, including a copy of the application, at least 30 days prior to the date of the hearing to all amateur sports organizations known to the corporation in that sport. In the hearing, the applicant and the national governing body shall be given a reasonable opportunity to present evidence supporting their positions.

(e) Standards for Granting Applications.—
In the hearing, the applicant must establish by a preponderance of the evidence that

(1) it meets the criteria for recognition as a national governing body under section 220522 of this title; and

(2)

(A) the national governing body does not meet the criteria of section 220522, 220524, or 220525 of this title; or

(B) the applicant more adequately meets the criteria of section 220522 of this title, is capable of more adequately meeting the criteria of sections 220524 and 220525 of this title, and provides or is capable of providing a more effective national program of competition than the national governing body in the sport for which it seeks recognition.

(f) Disposition of Applications.—
Within 30 days after the close of the hearing required by this section, the corporation shall

(1) uphold the right of the national governing body to continue as the national governing body for its sport;

(2) revoke the recognition of the national governing body and declare a vacancy in the national governing body for that sport;

(3) revoke the recognition of the national governing body and recognize the applicant as the national governing body; or

(4) place the national governing body on probation for a period not exceeding 180 days, pending the compliance of the national governing body, if the national governing body would have retained recognition except for a minor deficiency in one of the requirements of section 220522, 220524, or 220525 of this title and notify such national governing body of such probation and of the actions needed to comply with such requirements.

(g) Revocation of Recognition After Probation.—
If the national governing body does not comply with sections 220522, 220524, and 220525 of this title within the probationary period prescribed under subsection (f)(4) of this section, the corporation shall revoke the recognition of the national governing body and either

(1) recognize the applicant as the national governing body; or

(2) declare a vacancy in the national governing body for that sport.

36 USC 220529 - Arbitration of corporation determinations

(a) Right to Review.—
A party aggrieved by a determination of the corporation under section 220527 or 220528 of this title may obtain review by any regional office of the American Arbitration Association.

(b) Procedure.—

(1) A demand for arbitration must be submitted within 30 days after the determination of the corporation.

(2) On receipt of a demand for arbitration, the Association shall serve notice on the parties to the arbitration and on the corporation, and shall immediately proceed with arbitration according to the commercial rules of the Association in effect at the time the demand is filed, except that

(A) the arbitration panel shall consist of at least 3 arbitrators, unless the parties to the proceeding agree to a lesser number;

(B) the arbitration hearing shall take place at a site selected by the Association, unless the parties to the proceeding agree to the use of another site; and

(3) A decision by the arbitrators shall be by majority vote unless the concurrence of all arbitrators is expressly required by the contesting parties.

(4) Each party may be represented by counsel or by any other authorized representative at the arbitration proceeding.

(5) The parties may offer any evidence they desire and shall produce any additional evidence the arbitrators believe is necessary to an understanding and determination of the dispute. The arbitrators shall be the sole judges of the relevancy and materiality of the evidence offered. Conformity to legal rules of evidence is not necessary.

(c) Settlement.—
The arbitrators may settle a dispute arising under this chapter before making a final award, if agreed to by the parties and achieved in a manner not inconsistent with the constitution and bylaws of the corporation.

(d) Binding Nature of Decision.—
Final decision of the arbitrators is binding on the parties if the award is not inconsistent with the constitution and bylaws of the corporation.

(e) Reopening Hearings.—

(1) At any time before a final decision is made, the hearings may be reopened by the arbitrators on their own motion or on the motion of a party.

(2) If the reopening is based on the motion of a party, and if the reopening would result in the arbitrators decision being delayed beyond the specific period agreed to at the beginning of the arbitration proceedings, all parties to the decision must agree to reopen the hearings.