[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4312 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 4312
To protect the name, image, and likeness rights of student athletes and
to promote fair competition with respect to intercollegiate athletics,
and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
July 10, 2025
Mr. Bilirakis (for himself, Ms. Bynum, Mr. Guthrie, Mr. Walberg, Mr.
Jordan, Mr. Figures, Mrs. McClain, Mr. Fitzgerald, and Mr. Fry)
introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on
Education and Workforce, and in addition to the Committee on Energy and
Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in
each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the
jurisdiction of the committee concerned
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To protect the name, image, and likeness rights of student athletes and
to promote fair competition with respect to intercollegiate athletics,
and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Student Compensation and Opportunity
through Rights and Endorsements Act'' or the ``SCORE Act''.
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Agent.--The term ``agent''--
(A) means an individual who represents a student
athlete with respect to a name, image, and likeness
agreement or another agreement for compensation related
to the participation of such student athlete on a
varsity sports team; and
(B) does not include an immediate family member of
a student athlete, unless the immediate family member
receives payment for representation described in
subparagraph (A).
(2) Antitrust laws.--The term ``antitrust laws'' has the
meaning given such term in the 1st section of the Clayton Act
(15 U.S.C. 12) and section 5 of the Federal Trade Commission
Act (15 U.S.C. 45) to the extent that such section 5 applies to
unfair methods of competition.
(3) Associated entity or individual.--The term ``associated
entity or individual'' means, with respect to an institution--
(A) an entity that is known or should be known to
the employees of the athletic department of such
institution to exist, in significant part, for the
purpose of--
(i) promoting or supporting the varsity
sports teams or student athletes of such
institution; or
(ii) creating or identifying opportunities
relating to name, image, and likeness
agreements solely for the student athletes of
such institution;
(B) an individual who is or has been a member,
employee, director, officer, owner, or other
representative of an entity described in subparagraph
(A);
(C) an individual who directly or indirectly
(including through contributions by an entity
affiliated with such individual or an immediate family
member of such individual) has contributed more than
$50,000 (as adjusted on July 1 each year by the
percentage increase (if any), during the preceding 12-
month period, in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban
Consumers published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics)
over the lifetime of the individual to the athletic
programs of such institution or to an entity described
in subparagraph (A);
(D) an individual or entity who--
(i) is directed or requested by the
employees of the athletic department of such
institution to assist in the recruitment or
retention of prospective student athletes or
student athletes, respectively; or
(ii) otherwise assists in such recruitment
or retention; or
(E) any entity (other than a publicly traded
corporation) owned, controlled, operated by, or
otherwise affiliated with an individual or entity
described in subparagraph (A), (B), (C), or (D).
(4) College sports revenue.--The term ``college sports
revenue'' means any revenue (without regard to ownership or
legal title to such revenue) received by an institution with
respect to intercollegiate athletics--
(A) from the sale of admission to intercollegiate
athletic competitions or any other event involving a
varsity sports team, including actual monetary revenue
received by or for the benefit of such institution for
a suite license (unless such suite license is
associated with philanthropy or any purpose not related
to intercollegiate athletic competitions, including a
concert);
(B) from participation by the varsity sports teams
of such institution in intercollegiate athletic
competitions held at other institutions, including
payments received due to cancellations of such
intercollegiate athletic competitions;
(C) for radio, television, internet, digital, and
e-commerce rights, including revenue relating to media
rights distributed by a conference to members of the
conference, if applicable;
(D) from an interstate intercollegiate athletic
association, including any grant, distribution of
revenue, reimbursement relating to travel with respect
to a championship of such interstate intercollegiate
athletic association, and payment for hosting such a
championship;
(E) generated by a post-season football bowl,
including any distribution of revenue by a conference
to members of the conference and any other payment
related to the participation of such institution in
such post-season football bowl, including for ticket
sales and reimbursement of expenses;
(F) from a conference, other than any revenue
otherwise described in this paragraph;
(G) for sponsorships, licensing agreements,
advertisements, royalties, and in-kind products and
services as part of a sponsorship agreement; and
(H) relating to any additional form of revenue an
interstate intercollegiate athletic association uses
with respect to the pool limit of such interstate
intercollegiate athletic association.
(5) Compensation.--The term ``compensation''--
(A) means, with respect to a student athlete or a
prospective student athlete, any form of payment or
remuneration, whether provided through cash, benefits,
awards, or any other means, including payments for--
(i) licenses relating to, or the use of,
name, image, and likeness rights; or
(ii) licenses relating to, or the use of,
any other Federal or State intellectual or
intangible property right; and
(B) does not include--
(i) grants-in-aid;
(ii) Federal Pell Grants and other Federal
or State grants unrelated to and not awarded
with regard to participation in intercollegiate
athletics;
(iii) health insurance and payments for the
costs of health care, including health
insurance and payments for the costs of health
care wholly or partly self-funded by an
institution, conference, or interstate
intercollegiate athletic association;
(iv) disability and loss-of-value
insurance, including disability and loss-of-
value insurance that is wholly or partly self-
funded by an institution, conference, or
interstate intercollegiate athletic
association;
(v) career counseling, job placement
services, and other guidance available to all
students at an institution;
(vi) payment of hourly wages and benefits
for work actually performed (and not for
participation in intercollegiate athletics) at
a rate commensurate with the going rate in the
locality of an institution for similar work;
(vii) academic awards paid to student
athletes by institutions;
(viii) provision of financial literacy or
tax education resources and guidance; or
(ix) any program to connect student
athletes with employers and facilitate
employment opportunities, if--
(I) the financial terms of such
employment opportunities are consistent
with the terms offered to similarly
situated employees who are not student
athletes; and
(II) such program is not used to
induce a student athlete to attend a
particular institution.
(6) Conference.--The term ``conference'' means an entity
that--
(A) has as members 2 or more institutions;
(B) arranges regular season intercollegiate
athletic competitions and championships for such
members; and
(C) sets rules with respect to such intercollegiate
athletic competitions and championships.
(7) Cost of attendance.--The term ``cost of attendance''--
(A) has the meaning given such term in section 472
of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1087ll);
and
(B) is calculated by the financial aid office of an
institution applying the same standards, policies, and
procedures for all students.
(8) Grant-in-aid.--The term ``grant-in-aid'' means a
scholarship, grant, stipend, or other form of financial
assistance, including the provision of tuition, room, board,
books, or funds for fees or personal expenses, that--
(A) is paid or provided by an institution to a
student for the undergraduate or graduate course of
study of the student; and
(B) is in an amount that does not exceed the cost
of attendance at the institution for such student.
(9) Image.--The term ``image'' means, with respect to a
student athlete, a picture or a video that identifies, is
linked to, or is reasonably linkable to such student athlete.
(10) Institution.--The term ``institution'' has the same
meaning given the term ``institution of higher education'' in
section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C.
1001).
(11) Intercollegiate athletic competition.--The term
``intercollegiate athletic competition'' means any contest,
game, meet, match, tournament, regatta, or other event in which
varsity sports teams of more than 1 institution compete.
(12) Intercollegiate athletics.--The term ``intercollegiate
athletics''--
(A) means the varsity sports teams for which
eligibility requirements for participation by student
athletes are established by a conference or an
interstate intercollegiate athletic association; and
(B) does not include any recreational, intramural,
or club teams.
(13) Interstate intercollegiate athletic association.--The
term ``interstate intercollegiate athletic association''
means--
(A) any entity incorporated in the United States
that--
(i) sets common rules, standards,
procedures, or guidelines for the
administration and regulation of varsity sports
teams and intercollegiate athletic
competitions;
(ii) is composed of 2 or more institutions
or conferences located in more than 1 State;
and
(iii) has rules or bylaws prohibiting the
provision of prohibited compensation to student
athletes and prospective student athletes; and
(B) does not include any entity affiliated with
professional athletic competitions.
(14) Likeness.--The term ``likeness'' means, with respect
to a student athlete, a physical or digital depiction or
representation that identifies, is linked to, or is reasonably
linkable to such student athlete.
(15) Name.--The term ``name'' means, with respect to a
student athlete, the first, middle, or last name, or the
nickname or former name, of such student athlete if used in a
context that identifies, is linked to, or is reasonably
linkable to such student athlete.
(16) Name, image, and likeness agreement.--The term ``name,
image, and likeness agreement'' means a contract or similar
agreement under which a student athlete licenses or authorizes,
or a contract or similar agreement that otherwise is in
relation to, the commercial use of the name, image, or likeness
of the student athlete.
(17) Name, image, and likeness rights.--The term ``name,
image, and likeness rights'' means rights recognized under
Federal or State law that allow an individual to control and
profit from the commercial use of the name, image, and likeness
of such individual, including all rights commonly referred to
as ``publicity rights''.
(18) Pool limit.--The term ``pool limit'' means a dollar
amount based on college sports revenue that--
(A) is calculated and published by an interstate
intercollegiate athletic association pursuant to the
rules the interstate intercollegiate athletic
association establishes under section 6; and
(B) serves as the annual maximum amount that an
institution that is a member of such interstate
intercollegiate athletic association may provide, in
total, to student athletes of such institution,
including in the form of a name, image, and likeness
agreement or direct payment.
(19) Prohibited compensation.--The term ``prohibited
compensation'' means--
(A) compensation (including an agreement for
compensation) to a student athlete from an associated
entity or individual of the institution at which the
student athlete is enrolled (or to a prospective
student athlete from an associated entity or individual
of an institution for which the prospective student
athlete is being recruited) for any license or use of
the name, image, and likeness rights of such student
athlete or prospective student athlete (or any other
license or use), unless the license or use is for a
valid business purpose related to the promotion or
endorsement of goods or services provided to the
general public for profit, with compensation at rates
and terms commensurate with compensation paid to
individuals with name, image, and likeness rights of
comparable value who are not student athletes or
prospective student athletes with respect to such
institution; and
(B) compensation to a student athlete (or a
prospective student athlete) if such compensation is
paid by or on behalf of the institution at which the
student athlete is enrolled (or for which the
prospective student athlete is being recruited) and
results in the exceeding of the pool limit established
by the interstate intercollegiate athletic association
of which such institution is a member.
(20) Prospective student athlete.--The term ``prospective
student athlete'' means an individual who is solicited to
enroll at an institution by, or at the direction of, an
employee or an associated entity or individual of the
institution in order for such individual to participate in a
varsity sports team of such institution.
(21) State.--The term ``State'' means each State of the
United States, the District of Columbia, and each commonwealth,
territory, or possession of the United States.
(22) Student athlete.--The term ``student athlete'' means
an individual who--
(A) is enrolled or has agreed to enroll at an
institution; and
(B) participates in a varsity sports team of such
institution.
(23) Varsity sports team.--The term ``varsity sports team''
means an entity composed of an individual or group of
individuals enrolled at an institution that is organized by
such institution for the purpose of participation in
intercollegiate athletic competitions.
SEC. 3. PROTECTION OF NAME, IMAGE, AND LIKENESS RIGHTS OF STUDENT