KentuckySB 32025 Regular SessionSenateWALLET

AN ACT relating to student-athletes and declaring an emergency.

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

6 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 3 costs, 2 mixed.

College athletes’ agreements stay private

Kentucky’s public records law protects covered college athlete agreements from public disclosure. This covers institutional agreements and name, image, and likeness agreements submitted to public colleges for the required review. The law treats disclosure as an unwarranted invasion of personal privacy.

College athlete pay faces financial limits

Kentucky colleges and athletic associations can limit athletes’ name, image, and likeness pay to a prevailing market range. The range must reflect a valid business purpose promoting goods or services sold to the public for profit. Rates and terms must match comparable athletes who are not current or prospective athletes at that college. Written institutional agreements, including revenue sharing, can set different terms for the college’s or affiliated organization’s relationship with the athlete. Agreement income can also reduce need-based aid or academic scholarships based partly on financial need; no calculation is specified.

College athletes face limits on lawsuits

Employees of college-affiliated corporations gain protection from damages for routine athletics decisions affecting athletes’ third-party endorsement earnings. That protection excludes gross negligence and wanton, willful, malicious, or intentional misconduct. Public colleges, their employees, agents, and authorized volunteers keep their existing immunity from lawsuits. The law preserves any exception to that immunity for claims based on written institutional agreements under Kentucky law.

School athletes face endorsement resource limits

In Kentucky’s K–12 athletics system, member schools cannot grant athletes permission to use school property to earn endorsement money. The ban also covers school trademarks, uniforms, copyrights, and other intellectual property. Athletes cannot use those resources to earn money from their name, image, or likeness.

Athlete contracts need renewed consent

Parents or guardians can sign name, image, and likeness agreements or agency contracts for minors. Athletes must reaffirm those contracts within 30 days after turning 18, or the contracts are revoked. They must also reaffirm these contracts within 30 days after stopping sports participation at the college. That deadline covers contracts made or reaffirmed before or during participation; missing it also revokes the contract. Kentucky law governs institutional agreements, name, image, and likeness agreements, and agency contracts for athletes enrolled at Kentucky colleges.

College athletes face reviews with appeals

College athletes must submit proposed third-party name, image, and likeness agreements to a designated college official for review. Proposed changes must also go through review. The college has up to three business days to identify conflicts in writing. Its governing board must set submission and review procedures and provide timely appeals.

Sponsors & Cosponsors

Sponsor

Max Wise
Republican • Senate

Cosponsors

Donald Douglas
Republican • Senate

Roll Call Votes

All Roll Calls

Yes: 135 • No: 0

House vote • 3/11/2025

3rd reading, passed

Yes: 97 • No: 0

Senate vote • 3/4/2025