I

106TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. R. 1449

To amend title 18, United States Code, to prohibit sports agents from

influencing college athletes.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

APRIL 15, 1999

Mr. GORDON introduced the following bill; which was referred to the

Committee on the Judiciary

A BILL

To amend title 18, United States Code, to prohibit sports

agents from influencing college athletes.

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 ‘‘Collegiate Athletics

5 Integrity Act of 1999’’.

6 SEC. 2. INFLUENCE BY SPORTS AGENTS OF COLLEGE ATH7 LETES PROHIBITED.

8 (a) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 11 of title 18, United

9 States Code, is amended by adding at the end the fol10 lowing:
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1 ‘‘§ 226. Influence by sports agents of college athletes

2 prohibited

3 ‘‘(a) Whoever being a sports agent knowingly influ4 ences a college athlete to terminate that athlete’s college

5 eligibility, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned for

6 not more than 3 years, or both.

7 ‘‘(b) As used in this section—

8 ‘‘(1) the term ‘influence’ means to induce by—

9 ‘‘(A) a gift or a loan of money, property or

10 services; or

11 ‘‘(B) offering to procure employment for;

12 ‘‘(2) the term ‘sports agent’ means a person—

13 ‘‘(A) who directly or indirectly solicits a

14 college athlete to enter into a contract or agree15 ment authorizing such person to represent the

16 athlete in the marketing of such athlete’s ability

17 or reputation in a sport; and

18 ‘‘(B) who operates in or whose activities

19 affect interstate commerce;

20 ‘‘(3) the term ‘college athlete’ means a student,

21 enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate degree

22 granting program of an institution, who—

23 ‘‘(A) has informed the institution, in writ24 ing, of the student’s intention to participate in

25 the institution’s intercollegiate athletic pro26 gram; or
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1 ‘‘(B) participates in the institution’s inter2 collegiate athletic program,

3 and is eligible to participate under the rules of the

4 institution’s governing national intercollegiate ath5 letic association;

6 ‘‘(4) the term ‘college eligibility’ means eligi7 bility to participate in an institution’s intercollegiate

8 athletic program under the rules of the institution’s

9 governing national intercollegiate athletic associa10 tion;

11 ‘‘(5) the term ‘institution’ means an institution

12 of higher learning, as that term is defined in section

13 1201(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20

14 U.S.C. 1141(a)), which offers an intercollegiate ath15 letic program;

16 ‘‘(6) the term ‘national intercollegiate athletic

17 association’ means an association which—

18 ‘‘(A) has 2 or more member institutions;

19 and

20 ‘‘(B) has adopted, accepted, or put into ef21 fect rules for the conduct of the intercollegiate

22 athletic teams which are members of that asso23 ciation and for the regulation of contests in

24 which such teams engage; and
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1 ‘‘(7) the term ‘governing national intercollegiate

2 athletic association’ means the national intercolle3 giate athletic association of which the institution is

4 a member.’’.

5 (b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections

6 at the beginning of chapter 11 of title 18, United States

7 Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new

8 item:

‘‘226. Influence by sports agents of college athletes prohibited.’’.

Æ