§ 220505. Powers

(a) Constitution and Bylaws.— The corporation shall adopt a constitution and bylaws. The corporation may amend its constitution only if the corporation—

(1) publishes, in its principal publication, a notice of the proposed amendment, including—

(A) the substantive terms of the amendment;

(B) the time and place of the corporation’s regular meeting at which adoption of the amendment is to be decided; and

(C) a provision informing interested persons that they may submit materials as authorized in clause (2) of this subsection; and

(2) gives all interested persons an opportunity to submit written comments and information for at least 60 days after publication of notice of the proposed amendment and before adoption of the amendment.

(b) General Corporate Powers.— The corporation may—

(1) adopt and alter a corporate seal;

(2) establish and maintain offices to conduct the affairs of the corporation;

(3) make contracts;

(4) accept gifts, legacies, and devises in furtherance of its corporate purposes;

(5) acquire, own, lease, encumber, and transfer property as necessary to carry out the purposes of the corporation;

(6) borrow money, issue instruments of indebtedness, and secure its obligations by granting security interests in its property;

(7) publish a magazine, newspaper, and other publications consistent with its corporate purposes;

(8) approve and revoke membership in the corporation;

(9) sue and be sued, except that any civil action brought in a State court against the corporation and solely relating to the corporation’s responsibilities under this chapter shall be removed, at the request of the corporation, to the district court of the United States in the district in which the action was brought, and such district court shall have original jurisdiction over the action without regard to the amount in controversy or citizenship of the parties involved, and except that neither this paragraph nor any other provision of this chapter shall create a private right of action under this chapter; and

(10) do any other act necessary and proper to carry out the purposes of the corporation.

(c) Powers Related to Amateur Athletics and the Olympic Games.— The corporation may—

(1) serve as the coordinating body for amateur athletic activity in the United States directly related to international amateur athletic competition;

(2) represent the United States as its national Olympic committee in relations with the International Olympic Committee and the Pan-American Sports Organization and as its national Paralympic committee in relations with the International Paralympic Committee;

(3) organize, finance, and control the representation of the United States in the competitions and events of the Olympic Games, the Paralympic Games, and the Pan-American Games, and obtain, directly or by delegation to the appropriate national governing body, amateur representation for those games;

(4) recognize eligible amateur sports organizations as national governing bodies for any sport that is included on the program of the Olympic Games or the Pan-American Games, or as paralympic sports organizations for any sport that is included on the program of the Paralympic Games;

(5) facilitate, through orderly and effective administrative procedures, the resolution of conflicts or disputes that involve any of its members and any amateur athlete, coach, trainer, manager, administrator, official, national governing body, or amateur sports organization and that arise in connection with their eligibility for and participation in the Olympic Games, the Paralympic Games, the Pan-American Games, world championship competition, the Pan-American world championship competition, or other protected competition as defined in the constitution and bylaws of the corporation; and

(6) provide financial assistance to any organization or association, except a corporation organized for profit, in furtherance of the purposes of the corporation.

(Pub. L. 105–225, Aug. 12, 1998, 112 Stat. 1468; Pub. L. 105–277, div. C, title I, § 142(f), 112 Stat. 2681–604; Pub. L. 109–284, § 5(15), Sept. 27, 2006, 120 Stat. 1212.)

Historical And Revision

Historical and Revision Notes
Revised Section	Source (U.S. Code)	Source (Statutes at Large)
220505(a)	36:375(b).	Sept. 21, 1950, ch. 975, title I, §§ 105 (less (a) (words before cl. (1) related to perpetual succession)), 109, as added Nov. 8, 1978, Pub. L. 95–606, § 1(b), 92 Stat. 3047, 3048.
220505(b)	36:375(a) (words before cl. (1) less perpetual succession), (6)–(10), (12)–(16). 36:379.
220505(c)	36:375(a) (words before cl. (1) less perpetual succession), (1)–(5), (11).

In subsection (a), before clause (1), the words “not inconsistent with the laws of the United States or of any State” are omitted as unnecessary. In clause (1), the word “amendment” is substituted for “alteration” for consistency. Before subclause (A), the word “general” is omitted as unnecessary. In subclause (B), the words “adoption of the amendment” are substituted for “the alteration” for clarity. In clause (2), the word “comments” is substituted for “views, or arguments” to omit unnecessary words. The words “a period of” are omitted as unnecessary.

In subsection (b), the text of 36:379 is omitted as executed and obsolete. In clause (4), the word “devises” is substituted for “devices” to use standard contemporary spelling. In clause (5), the words “acquire, own, lease, encumber, and transfer” are substituted for “acquire, hold, and dispose of” for consistency in the revised title. The words “real and personal” and “may be” are omitted as unnecessary. The words “to carry out the purposes of the corporation” are substituted for “for its corporate purposes” for consistency in the revised title. In clause (6), the words “to carry out its corporate purposes” are omitted as unnecessary and for consistency in the revised title. The words “issue instruments of indebtedness, and secure its obligations by granting security interests in its property” are substituted for “issue notes, bonds, or other evidences of indebtedness therefor, and secure the same by mortgage” for consistency in the revised title. The words “subject in each case to the laws of the United States or of any State” are omitted as unnecessary.

Amendments

Amendments

2006—Subsec. (b)(9). Pub. L. 109–284 substituted “this chapter shall be” for “this Act shall be”.

1998—Subsec. (b)(9). Pub. L. 105–277, § 142(f)(1), substituted “sued, except that any civil action brought in a State court against the corporation and solely relating to the corporation’s responsibilities under this Act shall be removed, at the request of the corporation, to the district court of the United States in the district in which the action was brought, and such district court shall have original jurisdiction over the action without regard to the amount in controversy or citizenship of the parties involved, and except that neither this paragraph nor any other provision of this chapter shall create a private right of action under this chapter; and” for “sued; and”.

Subsec. (c)(2). Pub. L. 105–277, § 142(f)(2)(A), substituted “Organization and as its national Paralympic committee in relations with the International Paralympic Committee;” for “Organization”.

Subsec. (c)(3). Pub. L. 105–277, § 142(f)(2)(B), substituted “Games, the Paralympic Games, and” for “Games and of”.

Subsec. (c)(4). Pub. L. 105–277, § 142(f)(2)(C), substituted “Games, or as paralympic sports organizations for any sport that is included on the program of the Paralympic Games;” for “Games;”.

Subsec. (c)(5). Pub. L. 105–277, § 142(f)(2)(D), substituted “Games, the Paralympic Games, the Pan-American Games, world championship competition,” for “Games,”.