---
kind: "section"
citation: "36 U.S.C. § 220523"
title: "36"
title_heading: "Patriotic and National Observances, Ceremonies, and Organizations"
number: "220523"
heading: "Authority of national governing bodies"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/36/220523"
units:
  - "Subtitle II — Patriotic and National Organizations"
  - "Part B — Organizations"
  - "Chapter 2205 — United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee"
  - "Subchapter II — National Governing Bodies"
---

# §220523. Authority of national governing bodies

- (a) **Authority.—** For the sport that it governs, a [national governing body](/usc/36/220501.md?p=b-9) 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](/usc/36/220501.md?p=b-12) [international amateur athletic competition](/usc/36/220501.md?p=b-8) held in the United States and [sanction](/usc/36/220501.md?p=b-12) the sponsorship of [international amateur athletic competition](/usc/36/220501.md?p=b-8) held outside the United States;
  - (5) conduct [amateur athletic competition](/usc/36/220501.md?p=b-2), including national championships, and [international amateur athletic competition](/usc/36/220501.md?p=b-8) in the United States, and establish procedures for determining eligibility standards for participation in competition, except for [amateur athletic competition](/usc/36/220501.md?p=b-2) specified in [section 220526 of this title](/usc/36/220526.md);
  - (6) recommend to the [corporation](/usc/36/220501.md?p=b-7) individuals and teams to represent the United States in the Olympic Games, the Paralympic Games, the Pan-American Games, and the Parapan American Games; and
  - (7) designate individuals and teams to represent the United States in [international amateur athletic competition](/usc/36/220501.md?p=b-8) (other than the Olympic Games, the Paralympic Games, the Pan-American Games, and the Parapan 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](/usc/36/220501.md?p=b-9) may not exercise any authority under [subsection (a)](#a) of this section for a particular sport after another [amateur sports organization](/usc/36/220501.md?p=b-3) has been declared (in accordance with binding arbitration proceedings prescribed by the organic documents of the [corporation](/usc/36/220501.md?p=b-7)) entitled to replace that [national governing body](/usc/36/220501.md?p=b-9) as the member of the [corporation](/usc/36/220501.md?p=b-7) for that sport.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 105–225, Aug. 12, 1998, 112 Stat. 1473; Pub. L. 105–277, div. C, title I, § 142(n), Oct. 21, 1998, 112 Stat. 2681–608; Pub. L. 116–189, § 4(a)(9), Oct. 30, 2020, 134 Stat. 945.)

## Notes

| Historical and Revision Notes |  |  |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Revised<br>Section | Source (U.S. Code) | Source (Statutes at Large) |
| 220523(a) | 36:393. | Sept. 21, 1950, ch. 975, title II, § 203, as added Nov. 8, 1978, Pub. L. 95–606, § 2, 92 Stat. 3054. |
| 220523(b) | 36:393 note. | July 8, 1980, Pub. L. 96–304, title I (last sentence related to limitation on exercise of authority in par. under heading “Salaries and Expenses”), 94 Stat. 898. |

In subsection (b), the words “national governing body” are omitted (the first time they appear) to eliminate unnecessary words. The reference to “subsection (a) of this section” is substituted for “section 203 of Public Law 95–606 as hereby amended” because of the restatement. The word “corporation” is substituted for “Committee” because of the definition of “corporation” in section 220501 of this title.

### Editorial Notes

### Amendments

2020—Subsec. (a)(6), (7). Pub. L. 116–189 substituted “the Pan-American Games, and the Parapan American Games” for “and the Pan-American Games”.

1998—Subsec. (a)(6), (7). Pub. L. 105–277, which directed substitution of “Games, the Paralympic Games, and” for “Games and” in pars. (6) and (7) of this section, was executed by making the substitution in pars. (6) and (7) of subsec. (a) to reflect the probable intent of Congress.