A 2019 football game between the University of South Carolina and the University of Alabama at Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia, South Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. House GOP leadership advanced a House bill Wednesday that would establish legislation national framework for compensating college athletes.
The Student Compensation and Opportunity through Rights and Endorsements, or SCORE, Act would prevent student-athletes from being recognized as employees and provide broad antitrust immunity to the NCAA and college athletic conferences.
The measure was on the House schedule for Wednesday before Majority Leader Tom Emmer’s office announced Wednesday afternoon that consideration would be postponed. As usual, no reason for the cancellation was given in the notice.
The bill’s lead sponsors are Republican Rep. Gus Bilirakis of Florida and Democratic Reps. Janelle Bynum of Oregon and Shomari Figures of Alabama.
The other original co-sponsors are all Republicans: House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Brett Guthrie of Kentucky, Education and Workforce Committee Chairman Tim Walberg of Michigan, and Reps. Jim Jordan of Ohio, Lisa McClain of Michigan, Scott Fitzgerald of Wisconsin and Russell Fry of South Carolina.
Non-partisan opposition
The bill faces widespread opposition from Democrats amid concerns it would limit the rights of student-athletes and give the NCAA “unchecked authority” while failing to protect student-athletes.
Although the bill has garnered widespread support among Republicans, some in the party have pushed back against it. Republican critics in the House include Chip Roy of Texas, who called the bill a “Band-Aid for a bullet wound” during a convention House Committee Hearing Monday.
Roy joined Democrats along with fellow House Freedom Caucus members Byron Donalds of Florida and Scott Perry of Pennsylvania vote against the rule The government debate will take place on Tuesday alongside several other measures. The rule was still adopted, 210-209.
The bill was introduced in July by the House Energy and Commerce and Education and Workforce Committees, which have jurisdiction over portions of the bill.
The world of college sports is grappling with the fallout from the 2021 NCAA guidelines that allow student-athletes to profit from their name, image and likeness (NIL). There is a patchwork of NIL laws in the states, but there is no federal NIL law.
In June, a Federal judge approved the terms of a nearly $2.8 billion antitrust settlement that paved the way for schools to pay athletes directly.
Senate Democrats’ competing bill
Meanwhile, the bill would face a complex path in the Senate, where Democrats have expressed opposition.
Democratic Senators Maria Cantwell of Washington State, Cory Booker of New Jersey and Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut introduced competing NIL-related legislation in September.
Known as the Student Athlete Fairness and Enforcement Act or SAFE Act the bill “Grants name, image and likeness (NIL) rights to all athletes, establishes uniform health and safety standards, protects scholarships and requires agents to register with a state and adhere to clear contracting requirements, including a 5 percent cap on fees,” said Democrats on the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, where Cantwell serves as ranking member.
