Athletics Legislation Advances in the House

Two House committees voted to advance the Student Compensation and Opportunity through Rights and Endorsements (SCORE) Act. The bill, a priority for the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), would preempt state or local laws on Name, Image, or Likeness deals, shield college athletics from antitrust lawsuits, ensure that student athletes are not treated as employees, and codify the House v. NCAA settlement.  

Because the House Energy and Commerce Committee and the House Education & Workforce Committee share jurisdiction over the bill, both committees marked up and passed the legislation on a party-line vote. During the markup, both committees adopted a series of amendments that would, among other things, require institutions that generate at least $20 million in athletics revenue to provide student athletes with access to academic, tax, and legal assistance and require the NCAA to reserve slots on its board for student athletes and colleges with lower athletics revenue.  

The SCORE Act is expected to head to the House floor for a final vote sometime after the August recess. Nevertheless, Democrats remain concerned about certain aspects of the bill, and the legislation faces an uncertain fate in the Senate.