The DLeague. currently comprised of 12 teams across the country. signs and recruits the best basketball athletes from around the world who are not playing in the NBA. On average. international players comprise approximately 10 percent of active DLeague rosters. which currently stand at 10 players per team. The H2B cap has prevented the DLeague from being able to sign a significant number of qualified international players during each of the past two seasons. So a simple. commonsense solution would be to expand the P1 visa category to include minor league and certain amateurlevel athletes who have demonstrated a significant likelihood of graduating to the major leagues. This is what the COMPETE Act would do. Major League Baseball. the National Basketball Association. the National Hockey League. and Feld Entertainment. which owns Disney on ice. all support the expansion of the P1 visa category to include minor league players and ice skaters. Americans love their sports teams and want to see the highest caliber athletes competing or performing. By expanding the P1 visa category. we will make it possible for athletes to be selected based on talent and skill rather than visa availability. In addition. we would reduce some pressure on the H28 visa category making more of those visas available to the industries that need them. I am pleased to be joined by Senators COLLINS and CORNYN. as well as MIKULSKI. LEAHY. and LIEBERMAN. in introducing the COMPETE Act of 2006.
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visa visas H2B