WASHINGTON, May 25: Legislation designed to strengthen drug-testing policies in the four top U.S. professional leagues has been introduced as a way to protect “the health and safety of America’s children.” The Clean Sports Act of 2005 establishes uniform standards for the prohibition of performance-enhancing drugs in football, baseball, basketball and hockey.

“By introducing this bill, I am once again asking the leagues to shore up the integrity to professional sports,” said Arizona Republican Sen. John McCain, co-sponsor of the bill.

“I am asking the leagues to realize that what is at stake here is not the sanctity of collective bargaining agreements, but rather the health and safety of America’s children.

“Like it or not, our nation’s kids look to professional athletes as role models and take cues from their actions, both good and bad.”

The legislation calls for a two-year ban for the first violation and a lifetime ban for the second, putting the sanctions in line with Olympic standards.

“I remain hopeful that professional sports will reform their drug testing policies on their own - a modest proposal in the eyes of reasonable people,” McCain said Tuesday.

“However, the introduction of this bill demonstrates the continued seriousness with which Congress views this issue. It should be seen as a renewed invitation to the leagues to clean up their sports on their own without government interference.”

The bill also empowers the director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy to require compliance among other professional sports and NCAA Division I and II sports.

Florida Republican Rep. Cliff Stearns introduced a similar bill with many of the same provisions last month.

Professional sports leagues have been wracked recently by revelations of steroid and amphetamine use by their athletes.

The legislation follows recent congressional hearings during which the commissioners of the NFL, Major League Baseball, the NBA and NHL discussed their attempts to halt the use of performance-enhancing drugs in their leagues.—Reuters