Florida House of Representatives eyes athlete pay proposal
TALLAHASSEE -- The Florida House next week could start moving forward with a proposal (HB 99) that seeks to allow colleges, universities and their employees to steer endorsement opportunities toward student-athletes.
The House Postsecondary Education and Workforce Subcommittee is scheduled Tuesday to take up the measure, which would make a major change in Florida's athlete-pay law, commonly known as a name, image and likeness law.
Under the law, which took effect in 2021, compensation for student-athletes "may only be provided by a third party unaffiliated with the intercollegiate athlete's postsecondary educational institution."
Schools and employees, meanwhile, "may not compensate or cause compensation to be directed" to student-athletes. But the House bill would change that by allowing colleges, universities and employees to cause compensation to be directed to athletes.
"I believe Florida's a state that leads on a lot of issues, specifically in college sports," House sponsor Chip LaMarca, R-Lighthouse Point, told The News Service of Florida last week. "For example, we've had women's soccer championships down the street (at Florida State University), football championships around the state. We want to make sure we stay relevant, but we also want to make sure we protect the students."
