On Wednesday, the Alabama House State Government Committee unanimously voted to give a favorable report to a bill that would repeal Alabama’s college athletics name, image, and likeness statute.
House Bill 76 was sponsored by State Rep. Kyle South (R-Fayette).
During the 2021 regular legislative session, the legislature passed a bill into law that allowed Alabama student-athletes to be compensated for their name, image, and likeness (NIL), while still maintaining their collegiate eligibility.
South explained to the committee that NIL legislation had some unexpected consequences.
“We found that our athletes are at a disadvantage compared to states that are operating under just the NCAA rules,” said South.
On June 30, the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) approved its NIL policy. This new policy allows all NCAA D1, D2 and D3 student-athletes to be compensated for their NIL as of July 1, 2021, regardless of whether their state has a NIL law in place.
Alabama had passed its NIL law after California passed a similar law but before the NCAA passed its less restrictive nationwide policy.
Wednesday, the committee unanimously passed the legislation with very little discussion.
State Rep. Barbara Boyd (D-Anniston) said, “This shows that we have to slow down on some of the bills that we are trying to pass."
According to the synopsis, “Act 2021-227 of the 2021 regular session, now appearing as Article 3 of Chapter 26B of Title 8, commencing with Section 8-26B-50, and Section 8-26B-32, Code of Alabama 1975, established a procedure for the compensation of a student-athlete for use of his or her name, image, or likeness; placed certain conditions upon the granting of compensation to, and receipt of compensation by, a student-athlete for use of his or her name, image, or likeness; required licensure of certain persons representing student-athletes for purposes of compensation for the student-athlete's name, image, or likeness; and established the Alabama Collegiate Athletics Commission to adopt rules relating to compensation of a student-athlete for use of the student-athlete's name, image, or likeness. This bill would repeal Act 2021-227 of the 2021 Regular Session, relating to student-athletes and compensation for use of a student-athlete's name, image, or likeness.”
HB76 can now be considered by the full Alabama House of Representatives.
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