PRIA Logo™
TennesseeSB 0536114th General Assembly (2025-2026)SenateWALLET

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 49, relative to education.

Sponsored By: John Stevens (Republican)

Became Law

Sports

Your PRIA Score

Score Hidden

Personalized for You

How does this bill affect your finances?

Sign up for a PRIA Policy Scan to see your personalized alignment score for this bill and every other piece of legislation we track. We analyze your financial profile against policy provisions to show you exactly what matters to your wallet.

Free to start

Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

7 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 1 costs, 4 mixed.

Agent rules and contract safeguards for athletes

You may hire a licensed athlete agent or an attorney in good standing, and they must act as your fiduciary. Parents and close family who help you are not treated as agents. Schools and their foundations can help if they have no direct financial stake and do not pressure you. If someone claims to act for your school, you can demand written proof and verify it within one week; no proof means the contract is void and you owe nothing. Your representation deal cannot last beyond your time on the team, and any deal that hurts eligibility must be fixed or cancelled. If you are under 18, your NIL contract must follow Tennessee’s Minor Performers law. Your school also gives a money and budgeting workshop in your first full‑time term.

Limits on athletic association power

Athletic associations cannot stop you from earning NIL money, getting representation, or doing diligence, and cannot punish schools or foundations for helping athletes. Associations cannot make rules that take away rights in this law or break antitrust laws. They must check legality before adopting rules and cannot condition membership on breaking these limits. Any rule that violates these limits is unenforceable, and associations must cover damages for noncompliance. The attorney general can take action to enforce these limits; there is no private right to sue under this part.

Limits on some athlete NIL deals

Schools can set reasonable time, place, and manner rules so NIL work does not interfere with classes, team duties, or facilities. Schools can block use of school logos and other school‑owned property in personal NIL work. You cannot promote gambling, tobacco, THC products or derivatives, alcohol, or adult entertainment. You and your rep cannot sign a deal that conflicts with a school or school‑foundation contract; the school must show the terms to prove the conflict. Your school or athletic association can also require you to disclose NIL agreements and file yearly reports under commercially reasonable terms.

NIL pay for athletes, scholarships protected

You can be paid for your name, image, likeness, enrollment, or roster spot. Prospective athletes who started 9th grade can also be paid. Colleges, their foundations, and other third parties may help set up or provide this pay unless federal law, a court order, or compliant association rules bar it. Your athletic scholarship and eligibility do not change because of NIL pay, and scholarships (including cost of attendance) are not counted as NIL pay. Your school may reduce need‑based aid because of NIL income the same way it does for other students.

Legal shield for colleges in NIL actions

Colleges and their foundations are protected from damages for good‑faith NIL decisions and actions. The state’s sovereign immunity stays in place. This lowers legal risk for institutions and may limit lawsuits by athletes or third parties.

NIL records kept private until 2032

Records from NIL diligence and compensation are confidential and not open to the public. On request, schools must share yearly, combined totals they paid for an academic year without names or proprietary terms. The attorney general or a state agency can review confidential NIL records for official work, and the information they get stays confidential. This privacy rule ends on July 1, 2032.

Private colleges can opt out of rules

A private college and its athletic association can mutually opt out of some association‑related protections in this law for that college’s athletes only. The school must notify all athletes and association members within 30 days of the opt‑out or within 30 days after an athlete first enrolls where they plan to play. The opt‑out does not change how the law applies to other schools or athletes.

Sponsors & Cosponsors

Sponsor

  • John Stevens

    Republican • Senate

Cosponsors

  • Todd Gardenhire

    Republican • Senate

  • Adam Lowe

    Republican • Senate

  • Becky Duncan Massey

    Republican • Senate

  • Ken Yager

    Republican • Senate

Roll Call Votes

All Roll Calls

Yes: 151 • No: 9

Senate vote • 4/21/2025

FLOOR VOTE: Motion to Concur House Amendment # 1 4/21/2025

Yes: 33 • No: 0

House vote • 4/16/2025

FLOOR VOTE: REGULAR CALENDAR AS AMENDED PASSAGE ON THIRD CONSIDERATION 4/16/2025

Yes: 78 • No: 9

Senate vote • 3/24/2025

FLOOR VOTE: as Amended Third Consideration 3/24/2025

Yes: 32 • No: 0

Senate vote • 3/19/2025

SENATE EDUCATION COMMITTEE

Yes: 8 • No: 0

Actions Timeline

  1. Pub. Ch. 300

    5/13/2025

  2. Effective date(s) 05/01/2025

    5/13/2025

  3. Transmitted to Governor for action.

    5/1/2025Senate

  4. Signed by Governor.

    5/1/2025Senate

  5. Signed by H. Speaker

    4/30/2025House

  6. Signed by Senate Speaker

    4/29/2025Senate

  7. Enrolled and ready for signatures

    4/23/2025Senate

  8. Concurred, Ayes 33, Nays 0 (Amendment 1 - HA0234)

    4/21/2025Senate

  9. Sponsor(s) Added.

    4/21/2025Senate

  10. Senate Reset on calendar for 4/21/2025

    4/17/2025Senate

  11. Placed on Senate Message Calendar for 4/21/2025

    4/17/2025Senate

  12. Subst. for comp. HB.

    4/16/2025House

  13. H. adopted am. (Amendment 1 - HA0234)

    4/16/2025House

  14. Passed H., as am., Ayes 78, Nays 9, PNV 8

    4/16/2025House

  15. Placed on Senate Message Calendar for 4/17/2025

    4/16/2025Senate

  16. Rcvd. from S., held on H. desk.

    3/27/2025House

  17. Senate adopted Amendment (Amendment 1 - SA0174)

    3/24/2025Senate

  18. Passed Senate as amended, Ayes 32, Nays 0

    3/24/2025Senate

  19. Engrossed; ready for transmission to House

    3/24/2025Senate

  20. Sponsor(s) Added.

    3/24/2025Senate

  21. Sponsor(s) Added.

    3/21/2025Senate

  22. Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 3/24/2025

    3/21/2025Senate

  23. Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Calendar Committee Ayes 8, Nays 0 PNV 0

    3/19/2025Senate

  24. Placed on Senate Education Committee calendar for 3/19/2025

    3/12/2025Senate

  25. Sponsor(s) Added.

    3/11/2025Senate

Bill Text

Related Bills

Back to State Legislation