Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 118.djvu/2324

 118 STAT. 2294 PUBLIC LAW 108–406—OCT. 30, 2004 Public Law 108–406 108th Congress An Act To provide assistance to Special Olympics to support expansion of Special Olympics and development of education programs and a Healthy Athletes Program, and for other purposes. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Special Olympics Sport and Empowerment Act of 2004’’. SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSE. (a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds the following: (1) Special Olympics celebrates the possibilities of a world where everybody matters, everybody counts, every person has value, and every person has worth. (2) The Government and the people of the United States recognize the dignity and value the giftedness of children and adults with an intellectual disability. (3) The Government and the people of the United States are determined to end the isolation and stigmatization of people with an intellectual disability. (4) For more than 36 years, Special Olympics has encour aged skill, sharing, courage, and joy through year round sports training and athletic competition for children and adults with intellectual disabilities. (5) Special Olympics provides year round sports training and competitive opportunities to 1,500,000 athletes with intellectual disabilities in 26 sports and plans to expand the joy of participation through sport to hundreds of thousands of people with intellectual disabilities within the United States and worldwide over the next 5 years. (6) Special Olympics has demonstrated its ability to provide a major positive effect on the quality of life of people with intellectual disabilities, improving their health and physical well being, building their confidence and self esteem, and giving them a voice to become active and productive members of their communities. (7) In society as a whole, Special Olympics has become a vehicle and platform for breaking down artificial barriers, improving public health, changing negative attitudes in edu cation, and helping athletes overcome the prejudice that people with intellectual disabilities face in too many places. (8) The Government of the United States enthusiastically supports Special Olympics, recognizes its importance in 42 USC 15001 note. Special Olympics Sport and Empowerment Act of 2004. Oct. 30, 2004 [H.R. 5131]

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