# 119-hr-9302: Student Athlete Act of 2026

119-hr-9302, Student Athlete Act of 2026, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Rep. Steube, W. Gregory [R-FL-17] (R-FL); status introduced; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-06-24).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-9302
- As of: 2026-06-24
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-hr-9302
- Congress: 119
- Title: Student Athlete Act of 2026
- Status: introduced
- Introduced: 2026-06-11
- Sponsor: Rep. Steube, W. Gregory [R-FL-17] (R-FL)
- Cosponsors: 0
- Policy area: Sports and Recreation
- Touches household money: yes
- Last recorded action: 2026-06-24

## Summary

**Establishes federal rules for college athlete eligibility and transfers.** This bill would create a single federal framework that defines key terms for intercollegiate athletics and sets core rules on how long athletes can compete, how transfers are handled, and how scholarships are protected. - Student athletes: Student athletes would have 5 consecutive years of eligibility regardless of injury or other events. They would generally be barred from competing during the academic year they enter the transfer portal, with an exception for a first transfer. - Colleges and scholarships: Institutions of higher education would be required to honor original grant-in-aid commitments, subject to transfer-related limits. Schools could still revoke a grant-in-aid if a student athlete does not remain in good standing under the institution’s standards or code of conduct. - NCAA, conferences, and states: The National Collegiate Athletic Association would be assigned authority to set transfer-portal rules and notification periods and would receive an antitrust exemption to establish those rules. The bill would supersede existing NCAA transfer rules and preempt conflicting state laws.

## Provisions PRIA read

- Broader scholarship protections for athletes: benefit, high. If enacted, the bill would expand what counts as a grant-in-aid for student athletes. Tuition, room and board, books, fees, and personal expenses could count up to the full cost of attendance. Pell Grants and other public grants not tied to sports, health and disability insurance paid by schools or…
- Guaranteed five-year college sports eligibility: benefit, medium. If enacted, the bill would guarantee each student athlete five consecutive years of eligibility to play college sports. That guarantee would apply even if the student is injured or faces other events. The rule would take effect upon enactment and would override conflicting NCAA rules.
- Federal preemption of state sports laws: benefit, low. If enacted, the bill would bar states and localities from enforcing or keeping any law or rule that conflicts with this Act. States could not limit the rights this Act gives to student athletes, the NCAA, conferences, or schools. This preemption would take effect on enactment.
- New transfer rules for college athletes: mixed, medium. If enacted, the bill would define the transfer portal and give the NCAA authority to set portal rules and formal notification periods. The bill would say the NCAA may set those rules even if antitrust law might otherwise limit them and would supersede existing NCAA transfer-eligibility rules. It wo…

## Related bills

- 119-hr-4669: FEMA Act of 2025
- 119-hr-2570: Maximum Pressure Act
- 119-hr-9109: Stop ANTIFA Act of 2026
- 119-hr-687: MERIT Act of 2025
- 119-hr-4206: CONNECT for Health Act of 2025
- 119-hr-9298: Stopping Harmful and Outrageous Torts Act

## Sources
- [119-hr-9302 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/9302)

## Related
- [119-hr-4669: FEMA Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-4669)
- [119-hr-2570: Maximum Pressure Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-2570)
- [119-hr-9109: Stop ANTIFA Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-9109)
- [119-hr-687: MERIT Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-687)
- [119-hr-4206: CONNECT for Health Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-4206)
- [119-hr-9298: Stopping Harmful and Outrageous Torts Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-9298)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-9302 (as of 2026-06-24).