Lisa McClain (R-MI)
Student-athlete Protections and Opportunities through Rights, Transparency, and Safety Act
A Republican bill with 1 Democratic cosponsor · See the cosponsor
Last activity — Referred to the Committee on Education and Workforce, and in addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
In committee
Introduced and handed to a committee in the chamber it started in.
The committee holds it, and most bills are never heard from again. A hearing or a committee vote would be news; silence is the usual outcome, and it kills the bill without anyone voting against it.
Its path through Congress
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
This bill, known as the "SPORTS Act," aims to protect the name, image, and likeness (NIL) rights of student athletes. It prevents institutions, conferences, and interstate intercollegiate athletic associations from restricting a student athlete's ability to enter into NIL agreements. The legislation establishes requirements for these agreements to be in writing and includes specific disclosure rules. Additionally, it mandates that institutions provide various forms of education and training to student athletes receiving grants-in-aid. The bill also requires institutions to cover medical costs for certain injuries sustained during participation in varsity sports. Finally, it clarifies that student athletes are not considered employees of their institutions or associations.
Yes· 3 of 9
- Scored +8
Would students be better off under this?
The bill provides significant protections for student athlete rights, including medical costs and educational continuity.
- Scored +7
Would people in their twenties and thirties be better off under this?
The bill significantly enhances the economic rights and educational security of student athletes.
- Scored +6
Does this make college cost less?
The bill protects student-athlete grants-in-aid from being canceled due to injury or performance and ensures availability for degree completion.
The opposite
- Scored -5
Does this leave more decisions to the states?
The bill contains preemptive language that limits the ability of states to regulate intercollegiate athletics.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Protection of NIL Rights: No institution, conference, or interstate intercollegiate athletic association may restrict a student athlete's ability to enter into a name, image, and likeness agreement (Section 3(a)(1)).
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Right to Representation: Institutions and associations cannot prohibit a student athlete from participating in competitions based on them obtaining NIL representation (Section 3(b)).
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Market Value Transparency: Interstate intercollegiate athletic associations must maintain a public, searchable database to help athletes estimate the fair market value for NIL agreements (Section 5(a)(2) and Section 6(b)(1)).
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Comprehensive Education and Training: Institutions must provide student athletes receiving grants-in-aid with training in areas such as financial literacy, mental health, nutrition, and career preparation (Section 7(b)).
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Medical Cost Coverage: Institutions are required to pay the medical costs of a student athlete for injuries that occurred while they were a student athlete and resulted from participation in a varsity sports team (Section 7(c)).
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Protection of Financial Aid: Institutions are prohibited from reducing or canceling a grant-in-aid due to athletic performance, injury, or roster management decisions (Section 7(d)(1)).
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Continued Educational Support: For a 10-year period, institutions must make a grant-in-aid available for degree completion regardless of whether the athlete continues to participate in a varsity sports team (Section 7(d)(2)).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
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Eligibility Restrictions: An institution may still restrict a student athlete's eligibility if their NIL agreement violates the school's code of conduct, negatively impacts the institution's reputation, or conflicts with existing contracts (Section 3(a)(2)).
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Disclosure Burdens: Student athletes are required to disclose the terms of their NIL agreements to their institution within 60 days of entering the agreement (Section 3(a)(3)).
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Agent Registration and Consent Requirements: Athlete agents must disclose their registration status, and if they are not registered with an interstate intercollegiate athletic association, they must obtain written consent from the athlete or a parent/guardian before assisting with an endorsement contract (Section 4/Section 9).
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Tap or hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Would students be better off under this? — The bill provides significant protections for student athlete rights, including medical costs and educational continuity. Would people in their twenties and thirties be better off under this? — The bill significantly enhances the economic rights and educational security of student athletes.
- Education And Technology
- Does this make college cost less? — The bill protects student-athlete grants-in-aid from being canceled due to injury or performance and ensures availability for degree completion. Does this give people more control over their personal data? — The bill includes provisions to protect personally identifiable information within NIL databases.
- Healthcare
- Does this make mental health care easier to get? — The bill mandates that institutions provide mental health education and training to student athletes. Does this make health care easier to get in general? — Institutions are required to cover medical costs for injuries sustained during varsity sports participation.
- Governance And Ideology
- Does this give the federal government more power? — The bill uses federal funding as leverage to mandate institutional requirements and preempts state laws. Does this make what the government does easier for the public to see? — The bill requires the maintenance of a public database for NIL market value estimation. Does this protect people from being watched or searched? — The bill provides protections for the privacy of personally identifiable information in databases. Does this leave more decisions to the states? — The bill contains preemptive language that limits the ability of states to regulate intercollegiate athletics.
- 6/9/2025
- Referred to the Committee on Education and Workforce, and in addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- Introduced in House
Janelle BynumDemocrat · Oregon