On Thursday, Representative Shomari C. Figures, D-Alabama, led a bipartisan effort with the Republican chairmen of the Committees on Energy and Commerce; Education and the Workforce; and the Judiciary to introduce the Student Compensation and Opportunity through Rights and Endorsements Act, SCORE, to establish a national framework that stabilizes the use of student-athletes’ name, image and likeness, NIL.
“The current college sports environment has drastically changed in the NIL era, and this bill provides a framework to where students can not only be compensated but also have access to resources like health care and financial literacy courses, to ensure they have a solid foundation for their lives after college and we can get back to just playing ball,” Figures said. “I look forward to continuing the bipartisan work to make this the strongest bill possible and protect student-athletes, schools, and our athletic conferences.”
The SCORE Act includes the following provisions:
- Sets a national framework for student-athletes’ rights and responsibilities related to name, image, and likeness (NIL) compensation, support services, and institutional accountability.
- Guarantees a range of student-athlete benefits, including academic and career support, health and medical services, injury-related protections, and grant-in-aid guarantees both during and after enrollment for Division I schools.
- Allows student-athletes to receive NIL payments except when the payment is from a booster without a valid business purpose, from a school in excess of a set pool limit, or in violation of the school’s code of conduct or contractual obligations.
- Authorizes athletic associations to set rules on NIL transparency, booster payments, recruitment, transfers, and eligibility, among other matters.
- Establishes federal preemption over related state laws to ensure uniformity across the country.
“NIL offers an endless array of opportunities for student-athletes to make the most of their college experience, but the lack of clear guardrails has left athletes and universities on unstable ground. The SCORE Act creates a national framework that supports student-athletes and recenters the educational mission of college athletics,” said Chairmen Brett Guthrie, R- Kentucky; Tim Walberg, R-Michigan; and Jim Jordan, R-Ohio. “We are proud of this landmark legislation, and we look forward to working with our colleagues to strengthen this American institution.”
