SB328 Alabama 2021 Session

Existing law regulates the activities of student athletes as they relate to athlete agents and legal representation, but does not address compensation received by student athletes

This bill would prohibit Alabama postsecondary educational institutions and every athletic association, conference, or other group or organization with authority over intercollegiate sports from preventing any student athlete participating in intercollegiate sports from earning compensation as a result of the use of the student athlete's name, image, or likeness or seeking or obtaining legal or professional representation relating to the student athlete's participation in intercollegiate sports

The bill would also prohibit an athletic association, conference, or other group or organization with authority over intercollegiate sports from preventing a postsecondary educational institution from participating in intercollegiate sports as a result of the compensation of a student athlete for the use of the student athlete's name, image, or likeness, or from directly providing a prospective intercollegiate student athlete with compensation in relation to the student athlete's name, image, or likeness. The bill would prohibit the revocation of a student's scholarship as a result of earning compensation or obtaining legal representation as authorized under the bill. The bill would prohibit a student athlete from entering into any 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, and would also prohibit a team contract from preventing a student athlete from using his or her name, image, or likeness for a commercial purpose when the athlete is not engaged in official team activities

The bill would require that each postsecondary educational institution fund an annuity for each student athlete who declares that he or she will not receive compensation for use of his or her name, image, or likeness and will not seek or retain professional or legal representation relating to the student athlete's participation in intercollegiate sports, and would allow each student athlete to amend or renew his or her declaration under certain conditions. The bill would also require each postsecondary educational institution to conduct a financial literacy and life skills workshop for each student athlete at the beginning of each student athlete's first and third years

The bill would create the Historically Black Colleges and Universities Working Group to make recommendations about the receipt of compensation by a student athlete at an historically black college or university for the use of his or her name, image, and likeness

The working group would convene no later than July 1, 2021, and would issue a report no later than January 1, 2022; the remainder of the bill would become operative on January 1, 2023

Relating to student athletes; to prohibit Alabama postsecondary educational institutions and every athletic association, conference, or other group or organization with authority over intercollegiate athletics in this state from preventing any student athlete participating in intercollegiate athletics from earning compensation as a result of the use of the student athlete's name, image, or likeness or from obtaining professional or legal representation relating to the student athlete's participation in intercollegiate athletics; to require each postsecondary educational institution, under certain conditions, to create an annuity fund for each student athlete who declares that he or she will not receive compensation for use of his or her name, image, or likeness and will not seek or retain professional or legal representation relating to the use of his or her name, image, or likeness; to require each postsecondary educational institution to conduct a financial literacy and life skills workshop for student athletes; and to convene a working group relating to receipt of compensation by student athletes at historically black colleges and universities.