The NCAA News - News and Features

July 21, 1997

State legislation relating to college athletics

This report summarizes legislation currently pending before state legislatures that could affect, or is otherwise of interest to, the intercollegiate athletics programs and student-athletes of NCAA member institutions. Set forth below is a list of eight bills from five states. The report includes one bill that has been recently introduced and seven pending bills on which action has been taken since the publication of the June 30, 1997, issue of The NCAA News.

The State Legislation Report is based largely on data provided by the Information for Public Affairs on-line state legislation system as of July 7, 1997. The bills selected for inclusion in this report were drawn from a larger pool of measures that concern sports and, therefore, do not necessarily represent all of the bills that would be of interest to individual member institutions. Bills pending before the governing bodies of the District of Columbia and U.S. territories are not available on an on-line basis and are not included in this report.

The NCAA has not independently verified the accuracy or completeness of the data provided by Information for Public Affairs and is providing this summary as a service to its members. For further information regarding a particular bill, members should contact the state legislature concerned.

The bills set forth in this report address the following subjects:

Subject -- Number of Bills

Anabolic steroids -- 1

Athlete agents -- 1

Athletics scholarships -- 2

Athletic trainers -- 2

Sports wagering -- 2

Four bills have become law since the last report.

In New Hampshire, legislation was passed that replaces the laws governing the practice of athletic training and other allied health professions. The bill establishes a licensing board and creates licensing requirements for athletic trainers.

In Texas, three bills were enacted into law. One bill pertains to fees assessed for the regulation of athletic trainers. A second bill requires those universities and colleges that utilize a minimum high-school grade-point average as an admission criterion to award athletics scholarships only when the recipient meets the minimum grade-point average standard. A third bill makes changes to the existing law regulating the contracts and communications of athlete agents.

Since the last report, the legislatures in six states (Delaware, Louisiana, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, South Carolina and Vermont) have adjourned for the year. A total of 36 state legislatures have concluded their 1997 legislative session. Thirteen states remain in regular session. Kentucky did not conduct a regular session in 1997.

Louisiana S. 1522 (Author: Dardenne)

Athletics scholarships. Establishes that the benefits of an athletics scholarship should be closely tied to the student-athlete receiving a degree from his or her institution. Requires professional teams to repay an institution the cost of a student's athletics scholarship when they employ a student before the student graduates. Contains language that may require a student who enters a professional services contract prior to graduation to reimburse the institution for the cost of the student's athletics scholarship when he or she fails to make the professional team aware of the requirements of the act.

Status: 4/29/97 introduced. 5/30/97 passed as amended by Senate. To House. 6/13/97 reported favorably by House Committee on Education.

Massachusetts S. 145 (Author: Clancy)

Sports wagering. Subjects those who publish, communicate, receive, exhibit or display, in any manner, information that speculates on the outcome of a nonprofessional sporting event to a fine of not more than $1,000 or imprisonment for not more than one year.

Status: 1/1/97 introduced. 6/23/97 passed Joint Committee on Criminal Justice with S. 1823.

Massachusetts S. 461 (Author: Lees)

Anabolic steroids. Regulates the use of anabolic steroids. Defines and adds "anabolic steroid" to the list of regulated substances.

Status: 1/1/97 introduced. 6/16/97 passed Joint Committee on Health Care.

New Hampshire H. 537 (Author: Torr)

Athletic trainers. Replaces the laws governing the practice of athletic training and other allied health professions. Establishes individual licensing boards for each of these areas of practice and creates a board of directors. Provides licensing requirements for athletic trainers.

Status: 1/9/97 introduced. 3/26/97 passed as amended by House. To Senate. 5/20/97 passed as amended by Senate. 5/28/97 House concurred with Senate amendments. 6/19/97 signed by governor.

*Nevada A. 610 (Author: Price)

Sports wagering. Prohibits persons licensed to conduct a parimutuel system of wagering from accepting wagers on a collegiate sporting event unless each of the competing collegiate institutions has filed a consent-to-wager form with the person licensed to conduct such wagering. Requires persons licensed to conduct a parimutuel system of wagering to pay a royalty of two percent on the total amount of money wagered on a collegiate sporting event. Authorizes the board of regents to administer the royalty fund and pay each competing collegiate institution that provided a consent-to-wager form an equal share of the royalty that was collected for the event. Allows board of regents to assess a charge for administering the fund.

Status: 6/16/97 introduced. To Assembly Committee on Judiciary.

Texas H. 2573 (Author: Berlanga)

Athletic trainers. Relates to fees assessed for the regulation of athletic trainers.

Status: 3/11/97 introduced. 4/25/97 passed House. 5/26/97 passed Senate. 6/20/97 signed by governor.

Texas S. 1190 (Author: Armbrister)

Athlete agents. Makes changes to existing law regulating the contracts and communications of athlete agents. Requires an athlete agent to be registered with the secretary of state before any contact, direct or indirect, can be made with a student-athlete. Prohibits athlete agent from making direct contact with a student-athlete participating in football or basketball until after the completion of the student-athlete's last intercollegiate contest. Requires an athlete agent to provide prior notice to the athletics director at the student-athlete's institution before responding to a request to discuss the agent's services.

Status: 3/11/97 introduced. 4/17/97 passed with substitute by Senate. 5/28/97 passed as amended by House. 5/30/97 Senate concurred with House amendments. 6/20/97 signed by governor.

Texas S. 1419 (Author: Wilson)

Athletics scholarships. Requires those universities and colleges that utilize a minimum high-school grade-point average as an admission criterion to award athletics scholarships only when the recipient meets this minimum standard. The minimum grade-point average criterion must be applied uniformly to all students.

Status: 3/13/97 introduced. 4/10/97 passed as amended by Senate. 5/24/97 passed as amended by House. 5/28/97 Senate refused to concur with House amendments. To Conference Committee. 5/31/97 Conference Committee report adopted by Senate. 6/1/97 Conference Committee report adopted by House. 6/20/97 signed by governor.