SPECIAL OLYMPICS, INC. lobbying for SPECIAL OLYMPICS, INC.

Filing 1st Quarter - Report

Reporting period

1st Quarter 2026

Jan 1 - Mar 31 · Posted Apr 16, 2026

Expenses

$300,000.00

What this organization spent lobbying with its own staff. Reported using B: the three LDA methods count different costs, so an expenses figure is not comparable across filers that used different ones.

Client based in

District of Columbia

Official filing document

Lobbyists on this filing 2

SHAWN M FERGUSON

Previously held: Senior Advisor to the Senator, Senator Kent Conrad Legislative Director, Representative Brian Baird Office Manager & Director of Scheduling, Representative Marcy Kaptur
CHRISTIAN CLESI

Previously held: Science and Technology Policy Fellow, Senate Special Committee on Aging; Disability Policy Aide, Senate Special Committee on Aging

A "covered position" is a government job the lobbyist held in the 20 years before registering, which the law requires them to name. See the revolving door for former members of Congress across all filings.

Government bodies contacted 8

Centers For Disease Control & Prevention (CDC)
Education, Dept of
Executive Office of the President (EOP)
Health & Human Services, Dept of (HHS)
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Office of the Vice President of the United States
President of the U.S.
SENATE

The chambers, agencies and offices the filer named. It does not say who inside them was contacted, or when.

Bills named in this filing 2

HR 3409
HEADs UP Act of 2025
HR 3420
Words Matter Act of 2025

Lobbying activity 5

Sports/Athletics

2026 USA Games: The 2026 Special Olympics USA Games will be a monumental celebration of ability and inclusion set against the backdrop of the Twin Cities. The mission of the Games is to create an event inclusive of people with intellectual disabilities that celebrates ability, delivers the highest quality experiences for all who participate, and leaves a legacy of positive change in Minnesota.The Games are scheduled to take place from June 20-26, 2026, at the University of Minnesota, the official host venue. In addition to the university, the event will unfold across other locations, including the National Sports Center in Blaine. The Games are expected to bring together 3,000 athletes (people with intellectual disabilities) and Unified partners (people without intellectual disabilities who play on the same team as people with intellectual disabilities) and 1,500 coaches representing all 50 states. They will engage in 16 Special Olympics team and individual sports (both traditional and Unified, where people with and without intellectual disabilities compete together). The event will be supported by a dedicated team of 10,000 volunteers with an expected audience of 75,000 fans cheering on the inspiring athletes.

Health Issues

Special Olympics Healthy Athletes and Healthy Communities programming (Healthy Athletes provides free health screenings and education for Special Olympics athletes and Healthy Communities is a recognition program within Special Olympics, working to increase access to quality health care and effective prevention programming to improve the health of people with intellectual disabilities), H.R.3409 - HEADs UP Act of 2025: The HEADs UP Act would designate people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) as a Medically Underserved Population, opening up many government programs aimed at improving access to care and reducing health disparities.

Budget/Appropriations

Special Olympics Uniﬁed Champion Schools (programming aimed at promoting social inclusion through intentionally planned and implemented activities affecting systems-wide change. With sports as the foundation, this three component model offers a unique combination of effective activities that equip young people with tools and training to create sports, classroom and school climates of acceptance.), Special Olympics Healthy Athletes and Healthy Communities programming (Healthy Athletes provides free health screenings and education for Special Olympics athletes and Healthy Communities is a recognition program within Special Olympics, working to increase access to quality health care and effective prevention programming to improve the health of people with intellectual disabilities)

Education

Special Olympics Uniﬁed Champion Schools (programming aimed at promoting social inclusion through intentionally planned and implemented activities affecting systems-wide change. With sports as the foundation, the three component model offers a unique combination of effective activities that equip young people with tools and training to create sports, classroom and school climates of acceptance.)

Civil Rights/Civil Liberties

H.R.3420 - Words Matter Act of 2025 - The Words Matter Act replaces more than two dozen instances of the term mentally retarded in U.S. Code with contemporary, respectful language.