U.S. Rep. Shomari Figures (D-Mobile) recently co-sponsored the Student Compensation and Opportunity through Rights and Endorsements (SCORE) Act to establish a national framework that stabilizes the use of student-athletes’ name, image, and likeness (NIL).
Figures said, "The current college sports environment has drastically changed in the NIL era, and this bill provides a framework to where students can not only be compensated but also have access to resources like health care and financial literacy courses, to ensure they have a solid foundation for their lives after college and we can get back to just playing ball.”
"I look forward to continuing the bipartisan work to make this the strongest bill possible and protect student-athletes, schools, and our athletic conferences,” he added.
The SCORE Act includes the following provisions:
- Sets a national framework for student-athletes’ rights and responsibilities related to NIL compensation, support services, and institutional accountability.
- Guarantees a range of student-athlete benefits, including academic and career support, health and medical services, injury-related protections, and grant-in-aid guarantees both during and after enrollment for Division I schools.
- Allows student-athletes to receive NIL payments except when the payment is from a booster without a valid business purpose, from a school in excess of a set pool limit, or in violation of the school’s code of conduct or contractual obligations.
- Authorizes athletic associations to set rules on NIL transparency, booster payments, recruitment, transfers, and eligibility, among other matters.
- Establishes federal preemption over related state laws to ensure uniformity across the country.
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