The NCAA News - News and Features

The NCAA News -- June 7, 1999

State legislation relating to intercollegiate athletics

This report summarizes legislation currently pending before state legislatures that could affect or is of interest to staff of intercollegiate athletics programs and student-athletes. Set forth below is a list of 12 bills from six states. The report includes four bills that have been recently introduced and eight pending bills where legislative action has occurred since the publication of the May 24, 1999, NCAA News. Newly introduced bills are marked with an asterisk (*).

The State Legislation Report is based largely on data provided by the Information for Public Affairs online state legislation system as of May 24, 1999. 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 online 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 below address the following subjects:

Subject -- Number of Bills

Athlete agents -- 1

Athletic trainers -- 2

Gambling -- 4

Gender equity -- 1

Sports officials -- 2

Student fees -- 1

Tickets -- 1

Since the last report, two state legislatures (Minnesota and Vermont) have adjourned for the year. Twenty-six state legislatures remain in session. One state legislature (Kentucky) will not conduct a legislative session in 1999.

Illinois H 448 (Author: Johnson T)

Sports officials. Amends state statute to add a battery against a sports official within an athletics facility or within the immediate vicinity of the athletics contest to the list of offenses classified as aggravated battery. Directs court to impose a minimum fine of $1,000 for a first offense and $2,000 for a second or subsequent offense.

Status: 2/2/99 introduced. 3/9/99 passed House. 5/7/99 passed as amended by Senate. 5/17/99 House concurred in Senate amendment.

*Michigan H. 4689 (Author: Koetje)

Internet gambling. Amends the Michigan penal code to prohibit, with certain exceptions, a gambling business from using the Internet or an interactive computer service to bet or wager. Imposes felony penalties for violation of the prohibition.

Status: 5/18/99 introduced. 5/19/99 reported with recommendation by House Gaming and Casino Oversight Committee.

*Michigan H. 4690 (Author: Koetje)

Internet gambling. Establishes sentencing guidelines for Internet gambling.

Status: 5/20/99 introduced. 5/20/99 passed House.

Michigan S 422 (Author: Jaye)

Gambling. Amends Michigan Penal Code to provide an exception to the prohibition on betting pools for certain sports pool betting games, including wagering on bracketed tournament/playoff games. Permits the exception only when the wager does not exceed $10 and the payout is not more than $1,000.

Status: 3/10/99 introduced. 5/12/99 passed as amended by Senate. Referred to House Committee on Gaming and Casino Oversight.

*Minnesota S. 2273 (Author: Johnson)

Internet gambling. Authorizes the House research office, Minnesota lottery research division, and the Office of Senate counsel and research to conduct a study of gambling on the Internet. Requires a report to be issued by February 1, 2000, addressing the financial impact on employment, potential costs and benefits to existing gambling industries and impact on potential gamblers.

Status: 5/15/99 introduced. Referred to Senate Committee on Local and Metropolitan Government.

Nevada S 357 (Author: Weiner)

Athletic trainers. Provides for the licensure of athletic trainers and athletic trainer interns. Creates the board of athletic trainers. Authorizes Board to promulgate rules for continuing-education requirements, professional conduct and licensure. Imposes criminal misdemeanor penalties for violations of the act.

Status: 3/10/99 introduced. 4/19/99 passed as amended by Senate. 5/15/99 passed Assembly. 5/19/99 to governor.

Oregon H 2704 (Author: Krumel)

Athletic trainers. Provides for the licensure of athletic trainers. Creates the state board of athletic trainers. Requires registration of athletic trainers. Provides for certain exceptions to registration. Authorizes board to promulgate rules for continuing-education requirements, licensure and fees, and professional standards of practice and conduct. Imposes civil penalty of not more than $1,000 for violations of the act.

Status: 3/9/99 introduced. 5/19/99 passed as amended by House. 5/20/99 referred to Senate Committee on Rules and Elections.

Oregon H 2728 (Author: Deckert)

Tickets. Requires advertisements for the sale of tickets to entertainment and sporting events, in facilities whose construction or maintenance is or was financed with public funds, to disclose any service charge associated with the sale of such tickets.

Status: 2/23/99 introduced. 5/12/99 passed as amended by House. 5/14/99 referred to Senate Committee on Rules and Elections.

*Oregon H. 3628 (Author: Gianella)

Athlete agents. Regulates athlete-agent conduct. Prohibits an athlete agent from, directly or indirectly, offering or providing money or anything of benefit or value to a student-athlete. Limits written and in-person contact between an athlete agent and a student-athlete, except under certain circumstances. Requires an athlete agent and a student-athlete to provide written notice to the administrator of the student-athlete's educational institution upon entering any agent, endorsement or professional sports services contract. Provides for specific notice and warning language in each agent, endorsement or professional sports services contract.

Status: 5/11/99 introduced. Referred to House Committee on Rules and Elections.

Oregon S 482 (Author: Trow)

Sports officials. Establishes crime of assaulting a sports official punishable by a maximum of five years imprisonment, $100,000, or both.

Status: 2/5/99 introduced. 5/12/99 passed Senate. 5/13/99 referred to House Committee on Judiciary Criminal Law.

Texas H 3284 (Author: Van de Pute)

Gender equity. Authorizes the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board to allocate money to institutions of higher education for the establishment of women's athletics development programs that are operated by the institution on a collaborative basis with one or more public high schools in the state. Provides funding criteria for the board with an emphasis on those institutions whose programs address the needs of economically disadvantaged public-school students.

Status: 3/11/99 introduced. 5/11/99 passed as amended by House. 5/12/99 referred to Senate Committee on Education.

Texas S 149 (Author: Harris)

Student fees. Allows the board of regents of the University of Texas at Arlington to impose a mandatory intercollegiate athletics fees. Limits the amount of the fee imposed on each student to no more than $7.75 per semester credit hour for each semester. Permits a 5 percent increase in the fee only when a majority of students participating in a general student election approve the measure.

Status: 1/13/99 introduced. 4/15/99 passed as substituted by Senate. 5/19/99 passed House.