# 119-s-4272: Home Team Act of 2026

119-s-4272, Home Team Act of 2026, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Sen. Sanders, Bernard [I-VT] (I-VT); status introduced; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-09-10).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-4272
- As of: 2026-09-10
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-s-4272
- Congress: 119
- Title: Home Team Act of 2026
- Status: introduced
- Introduced: 2026-03-26
- Sponsor: Sen. Sanders, Bernard [I-VT] (I-VT)
- Cosponsors: 2
- Policy area: Sports and Recreation
- Touches household money: yes
- Last recorded action: 2026-09-10

## Summary

**This bill would protect local teams by giving communities a clear right to buy a franchise before it is moved or eliminated and by banning league rules that bar government or public ownership.** It focuses on market-based sales, a Treasury-led appraisal process, and penalties to enforce those community purchase rights. - Communities and local governments: Owners who plan to move, cross state lines, or eliminate a franchise would have to give proper notice at least one year before the season and offer the team for sale first to a local government or a home community cooperative. - Potential buyers and price rules: The bill would set a priority order for buyers that later includes local nonprofits and local private groups. The Secretary of the Treasury would assemble trained appraisers to set a fair market price and subtract any government payments or subsidies for stadium construction from that appraisal. - Owners, leagues, and enforcement: Leagues affecting interstate commerce would be barred from forbidding government or public ownership or transfers to them. Violations could trigger a civil penalty of $30,000 per day and allow a State or local government to sue for injunctions and money. The bill would protect employee collective bargaining rights and preserve existing agreements then in effect. *No specific federal cost estimate is provided in the sources.*

## Cosponsors (2)

- Sen. Blumenthal, Richard [D-CT] (D-CT), 2026-03-26T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Murphy, Christopher [D-CT] (D-CT), 2026-03-26T00:00:00.000Z

## Provisions PRIA read

- Community first right to buy teams: benefit, medium. If enacted, the bill would require a team owner to offer a fair opportunity to buy the franchise before moving it, moving it across State lines, or eliminating it. The offer must go in priority order: (A) a local government or a home community cooperative; (B) a local nonprofit or specified public-…
- Protect collective bargaining rights: benefit, low. If enacted, the bill would not change employees' rights to collectively bargain over terms and conditions of employment. It would also make clear that any collective bargaining agreement in place on the enactment date stays in force.
- New notice and community definitions: benefit, low. If enacted, the bill would define key terms for the purchase and relocation rules. It would define 'community' as the metropolitan area where the franchise plays the most home games. It would require 'proper notice' at least one year before the season in which the team would play at a new location…
- Daily fines and state lawsuits: cost, medium. If enacted, the Attorney General could fine a franchise owner $30,000 for each day the owner violates the sale or relocation rules. A State or unit of local government could also sue in federal court to seek money or an injunction to stop the move or elimination.

## Related bills

- 119-s-891: Bipartisan Health Care Act
- 119-s-1507: Agriculture Resilience Act of 2025
- 119-s-3990: PrEP Access and Coverage Act of 2026
- 119-s-2823: FAMILY Act
- 119-s-3869: Healthy Families Act
- 119-s-51: Washington, D.C. Admission Act

## Sources
- [119-s-4272 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/4272)

## Related
- [119-s-891: Bipartisan Health Care Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-891)
- [119-s-1507: Agriculture Resilience Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1507)
- [119-s-3990: PrEP Access and Coverage Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-3990)
- [119-s-2823: FAMILY Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-2823)
- [119-s-3869: Healthy Families Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-3869)
- [119-s-51: Washington, D.C. Admission Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-51)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-4272 (as of 2026-09-10).