To require an evaluation by the Government Accountability Office of the social, economic, and historic contributions that Minor League Baseball has made to American life and culture.

IIB 116TH CONGRESS 2D SESSION H. R. 6020 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES MARCH 11, 2020 Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation AN ACT To require an evaluation by the Government Accountability Office of the social, economic, and historic contributions that Minor League Baseball has made to American life and culture. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa- 1 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:08 Mar 11, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H6020.RFS H6020 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 2 HR 6020 RFS SECTION 1. FINDINGS. 1 Congress finds that— 2 (1) more than forty million fans have attended 3 Minor League Baseball games each season for 15 4 consecutive years; 5 (2) Minor League Baseball provides wholesome 6 affordable entertainment in 160 communities 7 throughout the Nation; 8 (3) in 2018, Minor League Baseball clubs do- 9 nated over $45 million in cash and in-kind gifts to 10 their local communities and completed over 15,000 11 volunteer hours; 12 (4) the economic stimulus and development pro- 13 vided by Minor League Baseball clubs extends be- 14 yond the cities and towns where it is played, to wide 15 and diverse geographic areas comprising 80 percent 16 of the population in the Nation; 17 (5) Minor League Baseball is committed to pro- 18 moting diversity and inclusion through its Copa de 19 la Diversio´n, MiLB Pride, FIELD Program, and 20 Women in Baseball Leadership initiatives; 21 (6) Minor League Baseball is the first 22 touchpoint of the national pastime for millions of 23 youth and the only touchpoint for those located in 24 communities far from Major League cities; 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:08 Mar 11, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H6020.RFS H6020 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 3 HR 6020 RFS (7) Congress has enacted numerous statutory 1 exemptions and immunities to preserve and sustain 2 a system for Minor League Baseball and its relation- 3 ship with Major League Baseball; 4 (8) an abandonment of 42 Minor League Base- 5 ball clubs by Major League Baseball would devastate 6 communities, bond purchasers, and other stake- 7 holders that rely on the economic stimulus these 8 clubs provide; 9 (9) Minor League Baseball clubs enrich the 10 lives of millions of Americans each year through spe- 11 cial economic, cultural, social, and charitable con- 12 tributions; and 13 (10) preservation of Minor League Baseball in 14 160 communities is in the public interest, as it will 15 continue to provide affordable, family friendly enter- 16 tainment to those communities. 17 SEC. 2. GAO EVALUATION. 18 Following consultation with the relevant committees 19 of Congress, the Comptroller General of the United States 20 shall evaluate the social, economic, and historic contribu- 21 VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:08 Mar 11, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H6020.RFS H6020 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 4 HR 6020 RFS tions that Minor League Baseball has made to American 1 life and culture. 2 Passed the House of Representatives March 10, 2020. Attest: CHERYL L. JOHNSON, Clerk. VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:08 Mar 11, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H6020.RFS H6020 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS