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119-s-2470119th CongressWALLET

College Athlete Economic Freedom Act

Sponsored By: Senator Murphy, Christopher [D-CT]

Introduced

Summary

A federal right for college athletes to market their name, image, and likeness (NIL). This bill would create a nationwide framework that protects athletes' ability to earn from their NIL, lets them hire agents and form collectives, and adds FTC enforcement plus immigration rules to let international athletes engage in NIL activities.

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

6 provisions identified: 6 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.

Work permission for international athletes

If enacted, the bill would create an explicit F‑visa path for bona fide international college athletes. Schools would be able to endorse a student's Form I‑20 to show the student is authorized to earn NIL income. The school must agree to report a student's termination of attendance to Homeland Security. The bill would say NIL work would not make an athlete inadmissible or violate their student status.

Rights to market NIL and hire agents

If enacted, college athletes and recruits would be allowed to market their name, image, and likeness (NIL). Schools and athletic associations could not block athletes from hiring agents, lawyers, or financial reps for NIL deals. Athletes could not be forced to waive these rights, except where a collective bargaining agreement limits commercial use. Federal law would generally override state rules that restrict athletes from signing NIL contracts under this bill.

Scholarship safety and tax protection

If enacted, getting paid for NIL would not reduce a student's scholarship eligibility or change the amount, duration, or renewal of a school grant‑in‑aid. The bill would also say it does not change the tax treatment of qualified scholarships under current law, so tax‑free scholarship rules would remain the same.

Schools must report and support NIL

If enacted, institutional NIL collectives would have to register with the FTC and identify their colleges. They would file annual reports by September 1 covering July 1–June 30 with data broken out by gender, race, and sport. Schools would have to make NIL support accessible without discrimination and could not use a group's NIL for promotions unless they get a license and explain how the NIL will be used and revenues shared. Schools could not coordinate payment limits unless those limits come from negotiations with a collective representative.

Stronger enforcement and antitrust tools

If enacted, the FTC would enforce the bill's NIL rules and treat violations as unfair or deceptive acts. Individuals harmed by violations could sue in federal court for actual damages and recover court costs and attorney fees. The bill would also treat violations as a per se Sherman Act antitrust violation, increasing legal remedies against collusion to limit athlete pay.

Annual NIL market research grants

If enacted, the Department of Commerce could award annual grants or contracts to study NIL monetization for the prior year. Recipients would have to publish their analyses, surveys, and pay estimates broken out by gender, race, and sport. The research would include recommendations to address pay disparities. Congress could appropriate whatever sums are needed to run the program.

Sponsors & CoSponsors

Sponsor

Murphy, Christopher [D-CT]

CT • D

Cosponsors

There are no cosponsors for this bill.

Roll Call Votes

No roll call votes available for this bill.

View on Congress.gov
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