Bill Text: CA SB26 | 2021-2022 | Regular Session | Amended

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft
Bill Title: Collegiate athletics: student athlete compensation and representation.

Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-1)

Status: (Passed) 2021-08-31 - Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 159, Statutes of 2021. [SB26 Detail]

Download: California-2021-SB26-Amended.html

Amended  IN  Assembly  June 15, 2021
Amended  IN  Senate  May 20, 2021

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2021–2022 REGULAR SESSION

Senate Bill
No. 26


Introduced by Senators Skinner and Bradford
(Coauthor: Senator Wilk)

December 07, 2020


An act to amend Section 67456 of the Education Code, relating to collegiate athletics.


LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


SB 26, as amended, Skinner. Collegiate athletics: student athlete compensation and representation.
Existing law prohibits California postsecondary educational institutions except community colleges, and every athletic association, conference, or other group or organization with authority over intercollegiate athletics, from providing a prospective intercollegiate student athlete with compensation in relation to the athlete’s name, image, or likeness, or preventing a student participating in intercollegiate athletics from earning compensation as a result of the use of the student’s name, image, or likeness or obtaining professional representation relating to the student’s participation in intercollegiate athletics. Existing law prohibits an athletic association, conference, or other group or organization with authority over intercollegiate athletics from preventing a postsecondary educational institution other than a community college from participating in intercollegiate athletics as a result of the compensation of a student athlete for the use of the student’s name, image, or likeness. Existing law prohibits the revocation of a student’s scholarship as a result of earning compensation or obtaining legal representation as authorized under these provisions. Existing law prohibits a student athlete from entering into a contract providing compensation to the athlete for use of the athlete’s name, image, or likeness if a provision of the contract is in conflict with a provision of the athlete’s team contract. Existing law prohibits a team contract from preventing a student athlete from using the athlete’s name, image, or likeness for a commercial purpose when the athlete is not engaged in official team activities, as specified. Existing law makes these provisions operative on January 1, 2023.
This bill, the Fair Pay to Play Act, would make these provisions operative on January 1, 2022, or when specified rule changes adopted by the Board of Governors of the National Collegiate Athletic Association take effect, whichever occurs first. first, and would make them applicable to the California Community Colleges. The bill would prohibit California postsecondary educational institutions except community colleges, and every athletic association, conference, or other group or organization with authority over intercollegiate athletics, athletics from providing a prospective intercollegiate student athlete with compensation in relation to the athlete’s athletic reputation, or preventing a student participating in intercollegiate athletics from earning compensation as a result of the use of the student’s athletic reputation. The bill would prohibit an athletic association, conference, or other group or organization with authority over intercollegiate athletics from preventing a postsecondary educational institution other than a community college from participating in intercollegiate athletics as a result of the compensation of a student athlete for the use of the student’s athletic reputation. The bill would prohibit the revocation of a student’s scholarship as a result of earning compensation for the use of the student’s athletic reputation.
The bill would prohibit a student athlete from entering into a contract providing compensation to the athlete for use of the athlete’s athletic reputation if a provision of the contract is in conflict with a provision of the athlete’s team contract. The bill would prohibit a team contract from preventing a student athlete from using the athlete’s athletic reputation for a commercial purpose when the athlete is not engaged in official team activities, as specified.

The bill would prohibit a postsecondary educational institution from denying a student athlete any rights provided to other college students at the institution, except as provided.

By imposing new duties on community college districts, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program.
The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.
This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.
Vote: MAJORITY   Appropriation: NO   Fiscal Committee: YES   Local Program: NOYES  

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:


SECTION 1.

 The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:
(a) On September 27, 2019, Governor Gavin Newsom signed into law Senate Bill 206 of the 2019–20 Regular Session, a bill by Senator Nancy Skinner and Senator Steven Bradford, at a signing ceremony hosted by LeBron James, a lead proponent and advocate for the legislation.
(b) Senate Bill 206 made California the first state in the nation to enact a law to restore to college athletes a right everyone else has: the right to earn compensation from their name, image, and likeness (NIL), or athletic reputation.
(c) After Senate Bill 206 was signed into law, at least 30 other states initiated plans to introduce similar laws, and 10 17 states have enacted them. The NIL laws of the States of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, and New Mexico take effect first, on July 1, 2021.

SEC. 2.

 This act shall be known, and may be cited, as the Fair Pay to Play Act.

SEC. 3.

 Section 67456 of the Education Code is amended to read:

67456.
 (a) (1) A postsecondary educational institution shall not uphold any rule, requirement, standard, or other limitation that prevents a student of that institution participating in intercollegiate athletics from earning compensation as a result of the use of the student’s name, image, likeness, or athletic reputation. Earning compensation from the use of a student’s name, image, likeness, or athletic reputation shall not affect the student’s scholarship eligibility.
(2) An athletic association, conference, or other group or organization with authority over intercollegiate athletics, including, but not limited to, the National Collegiate Athletic Association, shall not prevent a student of a postsecondary educational institution participating in intercollegiate athletics from earning compensation as a result of the use of the student’s name, image, likeness, or athletic reputation.
(3) An athletic association, conference, or other group or organization with authority over intercollegiate athletics, including, but not limited to, the National Collegiate Athletic Association, shall not prevent a postsecondary educational institution from participating in intercollegiate athletics as a result of the compensation of a student athlete for the use of the student’s name, image, likeness, or athletic reputation.
(b) A postsecondary educational institution, athletic association, conference, or other group or organization with authority over intercollegiate athletics shall not provide a prospective student athlete with compensation in relation to the athlete’s name, image, likeness, or athletic reputation.
(c) (1) A postsecondary educational institution, athletic association, conference, or other group or organization with authority over intercollegiate athletics shall not prevent a California student participating in intercollegiate athletics from obtaining professional representation in relation to contracts or legal matters, including, but not limited to, representation provided by athlete agents or legal representation provided by attorneys.
(2) Professional representation obtained by student athletes shall be from persons licensed by the state. Professional representation provided by athlete agents shall be by persons licensed pursuant to Chapter 2.5 (commencing with Section 18895) of Division 8 of the Business and Professions Code. Legal representation of student athletes shall be by attorneys licensed pursuant to Article 1 (commencing with Section 6000) of Chapter 4 of Division 3 of the Business and Professions Code.
(3) Athlete agents representing student athletes shall comply with the federal Sports Agent Responsibility and Trust Act, established in Chapter 104 (commencing with Section 7801) of Title 15 of the United States Code, in their relationships with student athletes.
(d) A scholarship from the postsecondary educational institution in which a student is enrolled that provides the student with the cost of attendance at that institution is not compensation for purposes of this section, and a scholarship shall not be revoked as a result of earning compensation or obtaining legal representation pursuant to this section.
(e) (1) A student athlete shall not enter into a contract providing compensation to the athlete for use of the athlete’s name, image, likeness, or athletic reputation if a provision of the contract is in conflict with a provision of the athlete’s team contract.
(2) A student athlete who enters into a contract providing compensation to the athlete for use of the athlete’s name, image, likeness, or athletic reputation shall disclose the contract to an official of the institution, to be designated by the institution.
(3) An institution asserting a conflict described in paragraph (1) shall disclose to the athlete or the athlete’s legal representation the relevant contractual provisions that are in conflict.
(f) A team contract of a postsecondary educational institution’s athletic program shall not prevent a student athlete from using the athlete’s name, image, likeness, or athletic reputation for a commercial purpose when the athlete is not engaged in official team activities. It is the intent of the Legislature that this prohibition shall apply only to contracts entered into, modified, or renewed on or after the enactment of this section.

(g)A postsecondary educational institution shall not deny a student athlete any rights provided to other college students at the institution, except in relation to recruitment.

(h)

(g) For purposes of this section, “postsecondary educational institution” means any campus of the University of California or California, the California State University, the California Community Colleges, an independent institution of higher education, as defined in Section 66010, or a private postsecondary educational institution, as defined in Section 94858.

(i)

(h) This section shall become operative on January 1, 2022, or when rule changes adopted by the Board of Governors of the National Collegiate Athletic Association to allow student athletes to receive compensation for third-party endorsements take effect, whichever occurs first.

SEC. 4.

 If the Commission on State Mandates determines that this act contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement to local agencies and school districts for those costs shall be made pursuant to Part 7 (commencing with Section 17500) of Division 4 of Title 2 of the Government Code.
feedback