House passes bill guaranteeing equal pay for women in international events

The U.S. House has passed a bill that “ensures equal compensation for U.S. women competing in international events,” according to Eddie Pells of the AP. The Equal Pay for Team USA Act will mandate all athletes representing the U.S. in global competition “to receive equal pay and benefits in their sport, regardless of gender.” It covers all NGBs and requires the USOPC to handle oversight. The bill had “earlier passed the Senate with unanimous support” and now heads to President Biden. The bill stems from the federal gender discrimination lawsuit the USWNT filed against U.S. Soccer in 2019. Most Olympic sports in the U.S. “have met USOPC standards regarding equal compensation” over the past decade, though there “remained inequities between the men’s and women’s soccer teams … that led legislators to seek to enshrine those standards into law” (AP, 12/22).

A new bill in the House will guarantee that athletes in global competitions receive equal pay regardless of genderGetty Images