Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that authorizes college athletes to receive compensation and sign endorsement deals.

Highlights:

• Defines "student athlete" or "athlete" as a participant in varsity intercollegiate athletics who is a student at a postsecondary educational institution registered for courses full-time on the first day of class of a semester, session or term or who practices or competes in intercollegiate athletics (Sec. 1.f).

• Prohibits an athletic association from doing the following (Sec. 2.b):

• Prevent, restrict, impose any condition or penalty upon or otherwise limit a student athlete of a postsecondary educational institution from fully participating in intercollegiate athletics and earning compensation as a result of the student athlete's use of the student athlete's name, image, likeness rights or athletic reputation; or

• Prevent, restrict, impose any condition or penalty upon or otherwise limit a postsecondary educational institution, its employees or volunteers from fully participating in intercollegiate athletics as a result of a student athlete's use of the student athlete's name, image, likeness rights or athletic reputation to earn compensation.

• Prohibits a postsecondary educational institution or athletic association from doing the following (Sec. 3.a):

• Interfere with or prevent a student athlete who is enrolled at a postsecondary educational institution within the state of Kansas and who participates in intercollegiate athletics from obtaining professional representation in relation to contracts or legal matters, including, but not limited to, representation provided by an athlete agent or legal representation provided by an attorney; or

• Interfere with or prevent a student athlete from fully participating in intercollegiate athletics as a result of the student athlete obtaining professional representation in relation to contracts or legal matters, including, but not limited to, representation provided by an athlete agent or legal representation provided by an attorney.

• Requires a student athlete to be deemed to have granted the student's postsecondary educational institution the right, royalty-free and without compensation in return therefor, to use the student athlete's name, image, likeness rights or athletic reputation and any alterations thereto, to the extent and in the form determined in the institution's sole discretion, at any time for its advertising and marketing related to the postsecondary educational institution's athletic, academic, promotional and historical interests (Sec. 4.a).

• Specifies this act does not apply to any accredited not-for-profit postsecondary educational institution with a physical presence in this state that is exempted from the Kansas private and out-of-state postsecondary educational institution act if such institution elects to be exempted from the provisions of this act (Sec. 5.b).

Full Bill Text