College Athletics Reform Act

Bill Number: H.R. 6350
Origin Chamber: House
Congress: 119th Congress, Session 1
Policy Area: Sports and Recreation
Status: Introduced
Latest Action: 2025-12-02: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on the Judiciary, and Education and Workforce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Last Updated: 2026-07-01T08:08:48Z

AI-Generated Summary

Purpose

The College Athletics Reform Act (H.R. 6350) aims to safeguard the rights of college athletes to earn money from their name, image, and likeness (NIL); regulate sports agents; promote fair governance in college sports; enable collective media rights deals; and increase transparency in athletic program finances and operations. It seeks to modernize rules for intercollegiate athletics while addressing issues like athlete compensation, representation, and equity.

Key Provisions

NIL Rights Protections (Section 3):
Prohibits intercollegiate athletic associations (IAAs), conferences, or institutions from restricting athletes' ability to receive compensation for NIL use or punishing them for doing so.
Allows athletes to obtain professional representation (e.g., agents, advisors, or lawyers) without restrictions or retaliation.
Protects athlete privacy by barring mandatory disclosure of NIL agreement details; voluntary disclosures cannot be shared without consent.
Requires NIL agreements over $600 to be in writing with specific details (e.g., services, parties, duration, compensation, termination clauses); athletes can void non-compliant agreements and terminate them upon leaving school.
Extends rights to international athletes by amending immigration laws to allow F visas for college athletes and exempt NIL activities from inadmissibility grounds.
Enforcement via Federal Trade Commission (FTC) for unfair practices, state attorneys general actions, and private lawsuits by athletes for damages and relief.
Preempts conflicting state laws but allows states to grant broader rights.

Sports Agent Regulations (Section 4):
Updates the Sports Agent Responsibility and Trust Act to cap agent fees at 4% of endorsement compensation, require state registration and certification with athletic associations, and mandate termination clauses in contracts upon leaving school.
Directs the FTC to study and report on creating an independent program to certify and regulate agents, including funding and timelines.

Commission to Stabilize College Sports (Section 5):
Establishes a 16-member congressional commission with diverse expertise (e.g., athletics, labor, civil rights) to study college sports governance.
Studies topics like roles of governing bodies, collective bargaining options without classifying athletes as employees, creating a new oversight entity, Title IX enforcement, and revenue sharing for equity (e.g., women's sports, non-Power Four schools).
Requires a public report with legislative recommendations within 2 years; commission terminates 90 days after reporting.

Media Rights Pooling (Section 6):
Amends the Sports Broadcasting Act to exempt joint agreements by IAAs (with over 136 members) from antitrust laws when selling TV rights for intercollegiate competitions.

Enhanced Disclosures (Section 7):
Amends the Higher Education Act to require annual, detailed reports from institutions on athletic finances, including revenues/expenses by sport, athlete aid (e.g., scholarships disaggregated by duration and coverage), coach pay (including bonuses), participant numbers (including multi-sport and club levels), Title IX compliance, and revenue sharing with athletes.
Institutions must submit data by October 15 and publish it online by February 15; the Department of Education makes it publicly searchable.

Significant Changes to Existing Law

Immigration and Nationality Act: Adds a new F visa category for international college athletes and exempts NIL activities from grounds of inadmissibility, allowing them to participate without visa violations.
Sports Agent Responsibility and Trust Act: Introduces fee caps, registration mandates, and contract termination rights; updates warning notices and references to state laws.
Sports Broadcasting Act: Expands antitrust exemptions to include pooled TV rights sales by large IAAs, similar to professional sports leagues.
Higher Education Act: Broadens reporting to cover club/intramural sports, disaggregate data by sport/gender, include direct athlete revenue sharing, and require Title IX compliance certifications; effective July 1, 2026, for the 2026-2027 academic year.
Overall, shifts from restrictive amateurism models to empowering athletes, with federal oversight preempting inconsistent state rules.

Potential Impacts

On Government Agencies: FTC gains enforcement authority over NIL violations, treating them as unfair practices; Department of Education must compile and publish expanded disclosures; immigration authorities (e.g., DHS) handle new F visa reporting for international athletes. The commission adds temporary legislative branch workload.
On Citizens (Athletes and Students): Empowers U.S. and international college athletes to monetize NIL freely, seek representation, and void unfair deals, potentially increasing earnings and career options. Enhanced disclosures promote transparency, aiding athletes, families, and the public in evaluating programs.
On Institutions and Conferences: Bars retaliation for NIL deals, forcing policy changes; enables revenue from pooled media rights to fund equity (e.g., non-revenue sports). Smaller schools (e.g., HBCUs) may benefit from studied revenue sharing.
On International Relations: Facilitates international athlete participation via visa changes, potentially boosting U.S. college sports diversity and global recruitment without immigration barriers.

Main Stakeholders Affected

College Athletes: Primary beneficiaries, gaining protected NIL rights, representation, privacy, and enforcement tools; includes current, prospective, and international students.
Institutions of Higher Education: Must comply with NIL freedoms, disclosures, and non-retaliation rules; impacts athletic departments' operations and finances.
Conferences and IAAs (e.g., NCAA, Power Four like Big Ten): Cannot restrict NIL or representation; gain antitrust exemptions for media deals but face governance studies and potential reforms.
Sports Agents and Advisors: Subject to new fee limits, registration, and contract rules; FTC study could lead to further regulation.
Federal and State Governments: FTC, states, and courts enforce rules; commission involves Congress.
Broader Public and Equity Groups: Advocates for Title IX, civil rights, and labor benefit from studies on bargaining, health, and revenue sharing for women's/non-revenue sports and underrepresented schools.

Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications

Legal: Introduces private rights of action for athletes, enabling lawsuits for violations; FTC enforcement extends to nonprofits like the NCAA. Preemption clause may lead to federal-state conflicts if states expand rights. Antitrust exemptions for media deals reduce legal risks for pooled rights but could invite challenges if seen as favoring large entities.
Constitutional: Supports free speech and due process by protecting NIL (commercial expression) and privacy; immigration amendments align with equal treatment under visas. No direct employee classification avoids labor law debates but studies collective bargaining without it, potentially skirting National Labor Relations Act issues.
Political: Bipartisan sponsorship signals broad support for athlete rights amid ongoing NCAA lawsuits. Commission fosters future reforms (e.g., new governance body), influencing debates on amateurism vs. professionalism. Equity focus on Title IX and HBCUs addresses diversity concerns; funding splits between House/Senate funds highlight congressional investment in sports policy.

This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.

Sponsor

Rep. Trahan, Lori [D-MA-3]

Cosponsors (25)

Rep. McClellan, Jennifer L. [D-VA-4], Rep. Magaziner, Seth [D-RI-2], Rep. Carter, Troy A. [D-LA-2], Rep. Stanton, Greg [D-AZ-4], Rep. Mullin, Kevin [D-CA-15], Rep. McGovern, James P. [D-MA-2], Rep. Scanlon, Mary Gay [D-PA-5], Rep. Tonko, Paul [D-NY-20], Rep. Leger Fernandez, Teresa [D-NM-3], Rep. Lee, Susie [D-NV-3], Rep. Costa, Jim [D-CA-21], Rep. Frankel, Lois [D-FL-22], Rep. Ruiz, Raul [D-CA-25], Rep. Tran, Derek [D-CA-45], Rep. McCollum, Betty [D-MN-4], Rep. Johnson, Julie [D-TX-32], Rep. DelBene, Suzan K. [D-WA-1], Rep. Tokuda, Jill N. [D-HI-2], Rep. Sykes, Emilia Strong [D-OH-13], Rep. Courtney, Joe [D-CT-2], Rep. Fletcher, Lizzie [D-TX-7], Rep. Pingree, Chellie [D-ME-1], Rep. Bynum, Janelle S. [D-OR-5], Rep. Scholten, Hillary J. [D-MI-3], Rep. Ross, Deborah K. [D-NC-2]

Recent Actions

2025-12-02: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on the Judiciary, and Education and Workforce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
2025-12-02: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on the Judiciary, and Education and Workforce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
2025-12-02: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on the Judiciary, and Education and Workforce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
2025-12-02: Introduced in House
2025-12-02: Introduced in House

Bill Versions

College Athletics Reform Act — issued 2025-12-02 — PDF (32 pages)