Sec. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSE

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## 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 encouraged 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 education, 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 improving the lives of people with intellectual disabilities, and recognizes Special Olympics as a valued and important component of the global community. ###

(b)Purpose The purposes of this Act are to— ####

(1)provide support to Special Olympics to increase athlete participation in and public awareness about the Special Olympics movement; ####

(2)dispel negative stereotypes about people with intellectual disabilities; ####

(3)build athletic and family involvement through sport; and ####

(4)promote the extraordinary gifts of people with intellectual disabilities.