Leagues give drug policies to Congress

WASHINGTON -- The NBA and NHL were among six groups that turned over documents about their drug-testing policies to the congressional committee looking into steroids in sports.

The House Government Reform Committee had set Tuesday as a deadline for getting information about drug programs and test results. Major League Soccer, the ATP, USA Track & Field and the U.S. Soccer Federation responded in time, while USA Cycling asked for and was granted an extension because of a snowstorm near its headquarters.

The NFL was given until last Friday, and turned in its documents then.

"Committee investigators are reviewing these documents, and they are continuing to examine the documents received from the NFL on Friday," committee chairman Tom Davis of Virginia and ranking Democrat Henry Waxman of California said in a statement. "We will withhold comment until our review of documents is complete."

In letters sent to the various sports, the committee asked for information such as the number of drug tests each year, the number of positive results and which substances are tested for. The letters specified that the committee wants "summary information, and does not require identification of individual players."

"We complied with the request and submitted the information they requested," NBA spokesman Tim Frank said.

NHL chief legal officer Bill Daly said, "We provided a written response to Congress providing the information that was requested, as well as additional relevant materials."

During the committee's 11-hour hearing on steroids in baseball on March 17, when Mark McGwire, Jose Canseco and commissioner Bud Selig were among the witnesses, several congressmen suggested that federal legislation might be needed to oversee drug testing in all U.S. sports.

The NHL does not test players for performance-enhancing drugs, while first-time offenders are suspended for five games in the NBA. Tennis, cycling and track follow International Olympic Committee and World Anti-Doping Agency standards, including a minimum two-year ban for a first offense and a lifetime ban for a second offense.