Bill
HB 6446
Allows college student-athletes to earn from endorsements and revenue sharing, while protecting eligibility; colleges must set policies and disclose deals.
AN ACT CONCERNING STUDENT ATHLETE COMPENSATION THROUGH ENDORSEMENT CONTRACTS AND REVENUE SHARING AGREEMENTS
Status & procedural timeline
- Introduced: January 23, 2025; referred to the Joint Committee on Higher Education and Employment Advancement.
- Public hearing held: January 24, 2025.
- Referred to Office of Legislative Research and Office of Fiscal Analysis for review: February 13, 2025 (report expected 02/19/25).
- Joint Favorable Substitute filed and reported out of the LCO: February 4 and February 20, 2025.
- Reported favorably and tabled for House calendar; House Calendar No. 25; File No. 6 (02/20/25).
Purpose and intent
- The bill’s title indicates its primary purpose is to authorize and regulate compensation to collegiate student‑athletes via endorsement contracts and revenue‑sharing agreements. Its intent is to allow student‑athletes to receive pay for name, image, and likeness (NIL) activities and to share in revenues tied to athletics-related commercial arrangements while establishing a legal framework for those transactions.
Key provisions (based on bill title and typical elements of such legislation)
- Authorization: Permits student‑athletes at state institutions of higher education (and possibly private colleges depending on bill text) to enter into endorsement contracts and revenue‑sharing agreements.
- Definitions: Likely defines terms such as “endorsement contract,” “revenue sharing,” “student‑athlete,” and related commercial activities.
- Protections for student status: Preserves athletic eligibility, scholarships, and academic standing when students engage in permitted compensation activities (subject to specific conditions in the text).
- Institutional responsibilities: Requires colleges/universities to adopt policies addressing use of institutional marks/logos, facility use, licensing, and coordination with athletics departments.
- Disclosure and reporting: May require student‑athletes and institutions to disclose contracts, list compensation, and report agreements for oversight and auditing.
- Conflict of interest / recruiting rules: May address prohibitions on pay‑for‑play, undue recruiting inducements, and interactions with boosters, agents, and third parties.
- Enforcement and penalties: Establishes authority for oversight, remedies for noncompliance, and possible sanctions (to be detailed in bill text).
- Fiscal and tax considerations: Could mandate consultation of fiscal impacts and advise on tax treatment, with OFA review pending.
Who is affected
- Directly: collegiate student‑athletes, athletic departments, institutions of higher education, boosters, sponsors, and agents or intermediaries.
- Indirectly: state oversight bodies, conference affiliations, and potentially institutional compliance and legal offices.
Potential impacts and considerations
- Financial: Could increase earnings for student‑athletes and shift revenue distribution; may create administrative costs for compliance and reporting.
- Competitive/recruiting: May alter recruiting dynamics among institutions and between in‑state and out‑of‑state programs.
- Legal and regulatory: Interaction with NCAA rules, federal law, and tax regulations may require coordination; potential for disputes over allowable conduct and compensation.
- Equity: Revenue‑sharing mechanisms may raise Title IX and equity considerations across men’s and women’s sports.
Note
- The summary is based on the bill title and available legislative actions; the full text and any fiscal note should be reviewed for precise operative language, limits, definitions, and detailed requirements before drawing definitive conclusions.
Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.
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