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House Panel Moves Forward with Bill to Regulate College Athlete NIL Deals

By  |  July 15, 2025

A key House subcommittee took a step Tuesday toward reshaping how college athletes are compensated, advancing a bill that seeks to streamline and regulate name, image, and likeness (NIL) agreements nationwide.

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    The legislation, introduced by Rep. Gus Bilirakis, R-Fla., aims to impose a federal framework for NIL deals, replacing the patchwork of state-level laws that currently govern athlete compensation. According to a statement from the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing and Trade, which passed the bill by a narrow 12-11 party-line vote, the measure would also shield universities from having to classify student-athletes as employees and grant legal protections to athletic conferences and the NCAA under antitrust law.

    Democratic members of the subcommittee opposed the bill, criticizing it for potentially curbing recent gains made by athletes in asserting greater control over their economic rights. Rep. Yvette D. Clarke, D-N.Y., voiced her opposition during Tuesday’s markup, arguing that the legislation favors institutional interests over student rights.

    Per a statement from Republican lawmakers, the proposed legislation, titled the Sports Compensation and Opportunity Reform and Equity (SCORE) Act, is intended to provide consistency and clarity for all stakeholders involved. “The fractured NIL landscape that has developed in recent years has left athletes, schools and conferences without certainty or guardrails,” said Rep. Brett Guthrie, R-Ky., chair of the full Energy and Commerce Committee.

    Read more: Colleges Seek Antitrust Relief in Exchange for Funding Olympic Sports, Per Sources

    The bill now moves to the full Energy and Commerce Committee and has also been referred to the House Education and Workforce Committee. While the timeline for a floor vote remains uncertain, the legislation has drawn bipartisan attention, with Democratic Reps. Janelle Bynum of Oregon and Shomari Figures of Alabama signing on as co-sponsors.

    The push for federal action comes in the wake of a landmark antitrust settlement that significantly altered the landscape of college sports. Last month, a federal judge approved an agreement allowing Division I programs to directly share revenues with athletes, up to approximately $20.5 million per school for the 2025–2026 season. The case, brought by former student-athletes, challenged the NCAA’s prior restrictions on compensation for NIL use and revenue sharing.

    Despite this progress, lawmakers on both sides of the aisle acknowledged the complexity and confusion that still surround NIL regulations. According to a statement released after Tuesday’s vote, proponents of the bill argue that a federal standard is necessary to ensure fairness and consistency across collegiate athletics.

    Source: Roll Call