(Reuters) - The United States Senate on Monday passed a bill that would allow U.S. justice officials to pursue criminal penalties against anyone involved in doping at an international events involving American athletes, sponsors or broadcasters.The Rodchenkov Anti-Doping Act, which previously passed the House of Representatives unanimously, passed the Senate unopposed and needs to signature of the president to become law. “The act will provide the tools needed to protect clean athletes and hold accountable international doping conspiracies that defraud sport, sponsors and that harm athletes,” said Travis Tygart, the head of the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA). “The act establishes criminal penalties for systems that carry out doping-fraud schemes that rob athletes, citizens and businesses,” he said. “It also protects whistleblowers from retaliation and provides restitution for athletes defrauded by conspiracies to dope.