I 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 8534 

To prohibit a student athlete from being considered an employee of an 

institution, a conference, or an association based on participation in 

certain intercollegiate athletics. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MAY 23, 2024 

Mr. GOOD of Virginia (for himself, Ms. FOXX, Mr. OWENS, Mr. BURLISON, 

Mr. OGLES, Mr. WALBERG, Mr. ALLEN, Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania, Mr. 

LAMALFA, Mrs. MILLER of Illinois, and Mr. ADERHOLT) introduced the 

following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and the 

Workforce 

A BILL 

To prohibit a student athlete from being considered an employee of an institution, a conference, or an association 

based on participation in certain intercollegiate athletics. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Protecting Student 

5 Athletes’ Economic Freedom Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. EMPLOYMENT STANDINGS. 

7 Notwithstanding any other provision of Federal or 

8 State law, a student athlete (or former student athlete) 


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1 may not be considered an employee of an institution, a 

2 conference, or an association under any Federal or State 

3 law or regulation based on participation of the student 

4 athlete (or former student athlete) in a varsity intercolle5 giate athletics program or a varsity intercollegiate ath6 letics competition, or the existence of rules or require7 ments for being a member of any varsity sports team. 

8 SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 

9 In this Act: 

10 (1) ASSOCIATION.—The term ‘‘association’’ 

11 means an organization that— 

12 (A) has multiple conferences and institu13 tions as members; 

14 (B) arranges championships for varsity 

15 intercollegiate athletics programs; 

16 (C) sets rules for varsity intercollegiate 

17 athletics programs; 

18 (D) sets rules for varsity intercollegiate 

19 athletics competitions; and 

20 (E) is not a conference. 

21 (2) CONFERENCE.—The term ‘‘conference’’ 

22 means an organization that— 

23 (A) has multiple institutions as members; 

24 (B) sets rules for varsity intercollegiate 

25 athletics competitions; 


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1 (C) arranges championships for varsity 

2 intercollegiate athletics programs; and 

3 (D) is not an association. 

4 (3) INSTITUTION.—The term ‘‘institution’’ 

5 means an institution of higher education (as defined 

6 in section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 

7 (20 U.S.C. 1001)) that sponsors a varsity intercolle8 giate athletics program in the United States. 

9 (4) STUDENT ATHLETE.—The term ‘‘student 

10 athlete’’ means an individual who participates in a 

11 varsity intercollegiate athletics program. 

12 (5) VARSITY INTERCOLLEGIATE ATHLETICS

13 COMPETITION.—The term ‘‘varsity intercollegiate 

14 athletics competition’’ means a competition involving 

15 2 or more varsity intercollegiate athletics programs 

16 sponsored by different institutions. 

17 (6) VARSITY INTERCOLLEGIATE ATHLETICS

18 PROGRAM.—The term ‘‘varsity intercollegiate ath19 letics program’’ means a team or other program unit 

20 of an institution participating in a sport— 

21 (A) played at the intercollegiate level; 

22 (B) administered by an athletic depart23 ment; and 


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1 (C) for which eligibility requirements for 

2 participation by student athletes are established 

3 by an association. 

4 (7) VARSITY SPORTS TEAM.—The term ‘‘varsity 

5 sports team’’— 

6 (A) means a team of student athletes orga7 nized by a varsity intercollegiate athletics pro8 gram to participate in a varsity intercollegiate 

9 athletics competition; and 

10 (B) does not include a team that is tradi11 tionally characterized as an intramural or club 

12 team. 

Æ 


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