BILL NUMBER: S8666A
SPONSOR: MAY
 
TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the general business law, in relation to restricting
youth sports organizations and youth sports facilities from prohibiting
attendees of youth sports events from recording personal media
 
PURPOSE:
To protect the ability of families and attendees to take personal photos
and videos at youth sports events, while maintaining reasonable, safe-
ty-based rules and transparency around commercial media services.
 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
This act adds a new Article 41-A to the General Business Law governing
youth sports organizations and youth sports facilities. It prohibits
organizations and facilities from banning, restricting, or penalizing
attendees for taking personal photos or videos at youth sports events
where spectators are permitted.
Organizations and facilities may not require the purchase of a photo or
video package as a condition of participation, entry, or attendance.
They are also barred from bundling media packages into registration or
other fees unless the cost is clearly and separately listed.
Where media packages are offered, organizations must clearly disclose
whether the package is optional, the full price, and the identity of the
vendor, including any relationship between the vendor and the organiza-
tion or facility.
Reasonable limits on recording are permitted in specific circumstances,
such as for safety, privacy, or in areas not open to the public. Any
such limits must be unrelated to commercial interests and must apply
equally to all attendees. Organizations and facilities may continue to
enter into agreements with media companies to film or stream events, but
those agreements may not be used to prevent attendees from taking their
own photos or videos.
 
JUSTIFICATION:
Parents and families attend youth sports events to support their chil-
dren and to capture important moments. For many, these events are not
just games but milestones-first goals, final seasons, and shared experi-
ences that that families want to remember. The ability to take a photo
or short video from the stands has long been a normal and expected part
of that experience.
In recent years, some youth sports organizations and facilities have
adopted policies that restrict or discourage personal recording. In some
cases, families have been told they cannot take photos or videos at all.
In others, access to images or footage has been tied to the purchase of
a professional media package, sometimes bundled into registration or
event fees without clear notice. These practices can place families in a
position where they must pay to capture ordinary moments or risk penal-
ties for doing what has traditionally been allowed.
This act responds to those changes by establishing a clear baseline:
attendees at youth sports events may create personal media, and that
activity cannot be restricted or penalized for commercial reasons. At
the same time, it recognizes that youth sports settings require appro-
priate safeguards. Organizations and facilities may continue to enforce
reasonable rules to protect safety, preserve privacy, and maintain
order, including limits in non-public areas such as locker rooms.
The act also addresses the growing commercialization of youth sports
media. Photography and streaming services can provide value, but fami-
lies should not be required to purchase them or be misled about their
cost. By requiring clear disclosure of pricing, optionality, and vendor
relationships, the act ensures that families can make informed decisions
without hidden fees or pressure.
Importantly, the act preserves existing laws governing the use of a
minor's image and allows organizations to require parental consent for
official uses and to set reasonable rules for private or sensitive spac-
es. It also excludes school-based athletic programs and Olympic and
national governing body programs, where separate regulatory structures
already apply.
By setting clear, fair rules, this act preserves a common experience for
families, prevents coercive or unclear practices, and provides consist-
ency across youth sports programs in New York State.
 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
New bill.
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
None.
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall have
become a law.