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119-s-2932119th CongressWALLET

Student Athlete Fairness and Enforcement Act

Sponsored By: Senator Cantwell, Maria [D-WA]

Introduced

Summary

student athletes' right to earn from their name, image, and likeness (NIL). This bill would set nationwide rules letting college athletes sign endorsement deals, hire agents, transfer with protected eligibility, and get stronger health and scholarship protections.

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  • Student athletes: Would bar schools and conferences from restricting athletes' ability to market their NIL, obtain agents, or lose scholarships solely for signing compliant endorsements. It would allow up to two transfers without losing eligibility and protect athletes who enter professional drafts from punishment.
  • Institutions and teams: Would require yearly public reports on program revenues, athlete hours, academic outcomes, and endorsement counts. It would create a centrally governed media-rights committee with an expanded antitrust exemption and permit a single jersey patch program if proceeds fund all sports and preserve non-revenue and women’s roster spots and scholarships.
  • Agents, NIL collectives, and enforcement: Would cap agent fees at 5 percent and require state registration, force NIL collectives to report deals and keep contract terms private without athlete consent, and authorize Federal Trade Commission oversight, state enforcement, private lawsuits with damages and attorneys’ fees, and strong whistleblower remedies.

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

8 provisions identified: 6 benefits, 0 costs, 2 mixed.

Health, safety, and medical coverage rules

If enacted, Division I schools (or their association) would have to pay all out‑of‑pocket medical costs while you play and for five years after your last college competition. Schools must pay for second medical opinions and provide catastrophic coverage for medical costs over $90,000. Each school would need an independent athletic health and safety officer and follow listed safety guidance. Schools must tell athletes about campus mental health services at least once a year.

Scholarship, transfer, and academic rights

If enacted, schools would generally not be allowed to reduce or end a student athlete's grant‑in‑aid except for narrow reasons: failing team rules, breaking the code of conduct that applies to all students, academic ineligibility, or transferring. Schools would have to give written notice and could reinstate aid if problems are fixed. Athletes could transfer twice without losing or delaying eligibility. Athletic departments would be barred from pressuring athletes about majors or lawful jobs. If you enter a pro draft and get no pay from a pro team, your school could not punish you if you declare intent to return within seven days.

Work authorization for international athletes

If enacted, the F student visa rules would be changed so an international student athlete who intends to sign a paid NIL agreement could qualify for limited work authorization for those NIL activities. The authorization would be limited to activities in the commercial NIL agreement.

Ombuds, literacy, advocate lists, and protections

If enacted, each athletic association would have an Office of the Athlete Ombuds to give free, confidential advice and help resolve disputes. Schools could offer financial and contract literacy programs that may not include marketing. Each school must give a yearly list of independent advocate groups. The bill would also bar retaliation against covered individuals who report violations and let them sue for relief and triple back pay.

Student athlete NIL and agent rules

If enacted, student athletes would be allowed to earn money for their name, image, and likeness (NIL) without school bans so long as the deal follows the bill. The bill would let schools or collectives pay NIL deals and would require written endorsement contracts that state fees, parties, and terms. Agents must register with a State and cannot charge more than 5% for endorsement deals. Groups' NIL could not be used to sell products unless every team member agrees. Division I athletes would have to report covered endorsement deals and NIL collectives would have to register when they arrange deals over $600.

School financial and endorsement transparency

If enacted, each college with varsity sports would have to report revenues, spending, donations, and staff pay by sport within 60 days after the school year ends. Reports must show hours athletes spend on sports, academic outcomes by sport, and counts and values of endorsement contracts for men's and women's programs. Athletic associations would post those reports publicly within 120 days.

Federal and state enforcement, preemption, oversight

If enacted, the bill would limit States from making laws that conflict with certain school rules on NIL pay, extra benefits, transfers, or agent fee caps, while preserving State rules on alcohol, tobacco, gambling ads and other consumer/trademark laws. The FTC would be able to enforce major parts of the bill like unfair practices. State attorneys general could sue over violations. The Commission would report possible Title IX violations to the Department of Education. The bill also says certain tax‑exempt schools are not State political subdivisions and authorizes such sums as necessary to implement the Act.

College media rights and broadcast rules

If enacted, the NCAA would have a new media rights committee to market and sell collective media rights and to give each member school more media revenue than it got in 2024–2025. The bill would expand an antitrust exemption for certain college groups but require at least one non‑exclusive local broadcast option for each school's local market for football and basketball. Buyers must use non‑football/basketball rights within one year or the rights revert. Media deals in effect on October 1, 2025 could not be renegotiated early.

Sponsors & CoSponsors

Sponsor

Cantwell, Maria [D-WA]

WA • D

Cosponsors

  • Sen. Booker, Cory A. [D-NJ]

    NJ • D

    Sponsored 9/29/2025

  • Sen. Blumenthal, Richard [D-CT]

    CT • D

    Sponsored 9/29/2025

Roll Call Votes

No roll call votes available for this bill.

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