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lessons. The law also incentivizes organizations to make volunteers (ski patrol, parents, travel chaperones, etc.), as
sweeping changes to wider relationships in overall athletics, long as they are authorized to interact with the youth athletes
and will expand the use of background checks across the in organized competitions.
sporting community as well as with businesses, employees, US Ski & Snowboard (USSA)—as the national governing
and volunteers. There is now a new normal on how busi- body (NGB) for skiing and snowboarding national and inter-
nesses and other organizations—including ski resorts— national competitions—has already developed training tools,
will engage young people involved with recreational and background checks, rules, and codes of conduct for adults
competitive sports. involved in their competitions and programs. Visit https://
At a bare minimum, the SSA will increase requirements usskiandsnowboard.org/safesport to learn more about USSA’s
for reporting of suspected abuse, and will require covered Code of Conduct, background screenings, and training and
entities to develop training and reporting protocols and coaching tools for prevention and compliance with the SSA.
adopt extensive policies to prevent abuses. The law has
especially tough liability provisions for non-compliance, When must suspected abuse be reported?
which Congress intentionally designed to force organizations, overed individuals and entities must report abuse to
athletic groups, recreation providers, and businesses working Clocal law enforcement or social service agencies, as well
with amateur youth groups to pay extremely close attention as to the NGB’s SafeSport center for each sport, within
to this growing problem. 24 hours.
While the law has only been on the books for a few
months, without application or interpretation by the courts, Must there be actual knowledge of abuse?
NSAA has analyzed it and provides the following Q&As to o, the law explicitly extends to any suspicions of
help ski areas understand the new changes, and prepare for Nabuse—even if unconfirmed—which is a crucial
the ongoing evolution our sport will undergo as a result of distinction. No longer can coaches and others involved in
the new law. protecting predators and abusers hide behind the notion
that there was no definitive proof or evidence of abuse. In
What does the Safe Sport Act mandate for those fact, the Safe Sport Act provides legal protections to reporting
involved with youth athletics? individuals and organizations for claims of defamation or
n short, the SSA will require mandatory reporting, manda- slander from those alleging wrongful reporting, as well as
Itory prevention training, and mandatory abuse prevention enacting rules to prohibit retaliation against anyone reporting
policies, and expands the list of those who will be deemed to such suspicions of abuse. The requirement to report any
be “mandatory reporters” under the law. suspicion of abuse is intended to discourage and penalize
The SSA requires an extremely broad swath of indi- organizations from attempting to avoid the potential for
viduals and organizations involved in youth athletics to scandal and protect the privacy of individuals or the orga-
develop new protocols for training on sexual, physical, and nization, based on the fact that they do not have confirmed
emotional abuse of youth athletes. This training is mandated facts of abuse. It is now a crime to self-adjudicate sexual
for everyone involved in youth athletics—coaches, doctors, and physical abuse allegations “in house,” instead of going
race officials, volunteers, chaperones, even school groups to local law enforcement authorities.
and hosting facilities and event venues. The SSA will also Here, the law is especially broad. Reporting require-
require the adoption of regulations (as well as enforcement ments extend beyond suspected sexual and physical abuse,
and auditing of these regulations) designed to prevent such and extend to emotional abuse, harassment, bullying, and
abuse within an organization. But with all these new hazing. The intent of the law is to require those involved in
“mandates” under the SSA, there are equally important youth athletics to err on the side of reporting such abuses.
indirect changes that will broadly impact those involved
with youth athletics. Does this law extend to volunteers?
es, if the volunteer is authorized to interact with a
Who is covered by this law? Yminor amateur athlete, even if only providing first aid
he SSA expands the definition of who is considered a or medical treatment or general assistance to an amateur
Tmandatory reporter of abuse to include any adult who is athletic event. This could create exposure for volunteer
authorized to interact with youth athletes. That certainly will ski patrollers, race officials, and even parents, and chaper-
extend to coaches, race officials, technical delegates, judges, ones if they have not been trained on the requirements of
medical providers, employees of hosting facilities, and even this new law.

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