I 
113TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 3545 
To protect the academic futures of collegiate student athletes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
NOVEMBER 20, 2013 
Mr. CA´RDENAS (for himself, Mr. CUMMINGS, Mr. RANGEL, Mr. RYAN of Ohio, 
Mr. HUFFMAN, and Ms. MCCOLLUM) introduced the following bill; which 
was referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce 
A BILL 
To protect the academic futures of collegiate student 
athletes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; FINDINGS; SENSE OF CONGRESS. 
(a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the 
‘‘Collegiate Student Athlete Protection Act’’. 
(b) FINDINGS.—Congress finds as follows: 
(1) Institutions of higher education that have 
athletic programs that offer athletically related stu-
dent aid collectively generate billions of dollars annu-
ally from contracts for media rights, and the revenue 
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from such contracts would not exist without the ef-
forts of student athletes. 
(2) Providing adequate health and safety pro-
tection for student athletes can help prevent serious 
injury and death. 
(3) Current and former student athletes are 
often left to pay for medical expenses incurred from 
injuries suffered while participating in intercollegiate 
athletics. 
(c) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Con-
gress that— 
(1) institutions of higher education exist to fur-
ther educate, and to provide an opportunity to ac-
quire a degree to, all students who attend such insti-
tutions; 
(2) institutions of higher education should en-
sure that a sports-related injury does not hinder the 
opportunity of a student athlete to graduate from 
the institution of higher education the student ath-
lete attends at the time of such injury; 
(3) institutions of higher education should make 
graduation of all student athletes a priority, regard-
less of the on-field performance of the student ath-
letes; 
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(4) institutions of higher education should pro-
vide student athletes with the same due process pro-
tections afforded to students who do not participate 
in athletics; 
(5) acknowledging the bodily risks taken by the 
student athletes, institutions of higher education 
should ensure that student athletes who otherwise 
could not afford proper health insurance are pro-
vided such insurance to pay for sports-related inju-
ries; and 
(6) due to the record level of revenues that ath-
letic programs provide for institutions of higher edu-
cation, such institutions have the responsibility to 
provide student athletes with the highest level of 
education, and to provide effective efforts to ensure 
that student athletes attain higher education degrees 
from such institutions. 
SEC. 2. PROGRAM PARTICIPATION AGREEMENTS. 
(a) NEW REQUIREMENT FOR PROGRAMS OF ASSIST-
ANCE.—Section 487(a) of the Higher Education Act of 
1965 (20 U.S.C. 1094(a)) is amended by adding at the 
end the following: 
‘‘(30)(A) In the case of an institution that has 
an athletic program and that annually receives 
$10,000,000 or more in income derived from media 
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rights (as calculated in accordance with subpara-
graph (B)) for the athletic program of the institu-
tion, the institution will comply with the require-
ments under subsection (k). 
‘‘(B) For the purposes of this paragraph, an in-
stitution of higher education shall calculate the total 
amount of income the institution derives annually 
from media rights by adding— 
‘‘(i) annual income derived from any con-
tract for media rights signed with any media 
entity by the institution, determined by aver-
aging the income derived from the contract an-
nually over the lifetime of the contract; 
‘‘(ii) disbursements to the institution as a 
member institution of an athletic conference, 
representing member shares of the media rights 
of such conference; and 
‘‘(iii) disbursements to the institution as a 
participant in an event that is hosted by an en-
tity that— 
‘‘(I) hosts intercollegiate sporting 
events; and 
‘‘(II) sells broadcast or media access 
to that event.’’. 
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(b) ATHLETIC PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS.—Section 
487 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
1094) is amended by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(k) ATHLETIC PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS.— 
‘‘(1) DEFINITIONS.—For the purposes of this 
subsection and subsection (a)(30), the following defi-
nitions shall apply: 
‘‘(A) ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION.—The term 
‘athletic association’ means an organization 
that is not an institution of higher education 
and— 
‘‘(i) that is responsible for governing 
athletic programs at multiple institutions 
of higher education; or 
‘‘(ii) the primary purpose of which is 
to host intercollegiate sporting events and 
sell broadcast or media access to such 
events. 
‘‘(B) ATHLETIC
PROGRAM.—The term 
‘athletic program’ means an intercollegiate ath-
letic program of an institution of higher edu-
cation. 
‘‘(C) ATHLETICALLY
RELATED
STUDENT 
AID.—The term ‘athletically related student aid’ 
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shall have the meaning given such term in sec-
tion 485(e). 
‘‘(D) GRADUATION
SUCCESS
RATE.—The 
term ‘graduation success rate’— 
‘‘(i) means the percentage of student 
athletes who graduate from an institution 
of higher education not later than 6 years 
after initial enrollment at such institution, 
including students who transfer to such in-
stitution from another institution, but ex-
cluding students who transfer out of such 
institution who are in good academic 
standing and, in accordance with the rules 
of the athletic association governing such 
athletic program, have not exhausted their 
eligibility to participate in such program; 
and 
‘‘(ii) shall be calculated using the data 
available for the 4 most recent academic 
years in the exact manner as the rate is 
calculated under the rules of the National 
Collegiate Athletic Association on the date 
of enactment of the Collegiate Student 
Athlete Protection Act. 
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‘‘(E) HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONAL.—The 
term ‘health care professional’ means— 
‘‘(i) a physician (including a medical 
doctor or doctor of osteopathic medicine); 
or 
‘‘(ii) an athletic trainer— 
‘‘(I) who is registered, licensed, 
certified, or otherwise statutorily rec-
ognized by the State to provide treat-
ment; and 
‘‘(II) whose scope of practice and 
experience includes the diagnosis and 
management of traumatic brain in-
jury. 
‘‘(F) 
INSTITUTION
OF
HIGHER
EDU-
CATION.—The term ‘institution of higher edu-
cation’ has the meaning given the term in sec-
tion 102. 
‘‘(G) MEDIA
RIGHTS.—The term ‘media 
rights’ means contractual rights granted by an 
institution of higher education or an athletic as-
sociation to a television network, in exchange 
for monetary payments to the institution or as-
sociation, to provide media coverage of the in-
stitution’s athletic program. 
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‘‘(H) STUDENT ATHLETE.—The term ‘stu-
dent athlete’ means a student enrolled at an in-
stitution of higher education who participates in 
an athletic program. 
‘‘(2) REQUIREMENTS.—To comply with this 
subsection for the purposes of subsection (a)(30), an 
athletic program of an institution of higher edu-
cation described in subsection (a)(30) shall meet the 
following requirements: 
‘‘(A) COMPLETION OF ACADEMIC PROGRAM 
AFTER LOSS OF ATHLETIC SCHOLARSHIP.— 
‘‘(i) LOSS DUE TO INJURY.— 
‘‘(I) IN GENERAL.—Each student 
athlete who has received or contracted 
to receive athletically related student 
aid from an institution of higher edu-
cation for participation in an athletic 
program and who subsequently be-
comes ineligible for such aid for all or 
part of an academic year due to an in-
jury or illness resulting from the ath-
lete’s participation in the athletic pro-
gram shall, upon a determination by a 
physician selected by the institution 
and a physician that is not affiliated 
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with any institution, that the student 
athlete is medically ineligible to par-
ticipate in such program, be provided 
with institutional student aid for the 
period described in subclause (II) in 
an amount equivalent to the amount 
the student would have received in 
athletically related student aid for 
such academic year (or part thereof) 
if the student had not suffered such 
injury or illness. The student shall 
also receive continued academic sup-
ports, including tutoring, at the same 
level received prior to being deemed 
medically ineligible, for the entire pe-
riod that the student receives institu-
tional student aid. 
‘‘(II) PERIOD OF AID.—The in-
stitution of higher education shall pro-
vide institutional student aid required 
under subclause (I) for a period that, 
combined with the total duration of 
time the student previously received 
athletically related student aid, is 
equal to 5 academic years, or until the 
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student athlete completes the athlete’s 
undergraduate degree, whichever time 
period is shorter. The institution may, 
at its discretion, provide institutional 
student aid for an additional period. 
‘‘(III) LEAVE OF ABSENCE.—In 
the case of a student athlete who 
takes a leave of absence from an insti-
tution of higher education due to an 
injury or illness resulting from the 
athlete’s participation in an athletic 
program, the duration of such leave of 
absence shall not be counted as part 
of the period of required institutional 
student aid due to the student under 
subclause (II). 
‘‘(ii) LOSS DUE TO EXHAUSTED ELIGI-
BILITY.— 
‘‘(I) IN
GENERAL.—Except as 
provided in subclause (III), each stu-
dent athlete who has received athlet-
ically related student aid from an in-
stitution of higher education for par-
ticipation in an athletic program, and 
who is maintaining academic standing 
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consistent with the requirements for 
graduation, but who, in accordance 
with the rules of the athletic associa-
tion governing such athletic program, 
has exhausted the athlete’s athletic 
eligibility to participate in such pro-
gram before the student has com-
pleted an undergraduate degree shall 
be provided with institutional student 
aid for the period described in sub-
clause (II) in an amount equivalent to 
the amount the student would have 
received in athletically related student 
aid if the student’s athletic eligibility 
were not exhausted. 
‘‘(II) PERIOD OF AID.—The in-
stitution shall provide institutional 
student aid required under subclause 
(I) for a period of 1 year, or until the 
student athlete completes an under-
graduate degree, whichever time pe-
riod is shorter. 
‘‘(III) EXCEPTION.—An institu-
tion of higher education shall not be 
required to provide institutional stu-
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dent aid to a student athlete in ac-
cordance with subclause (I) if such 
student athlete received athletically 
related student aid from the institu-
tion for participation in a team sport 
with a graduation success rate for 
such team that is 70 percent or high-
er. 
‘‘(iii) INVOLUNTARY
LOSS
FOR
ANY 
REASON OTHER THAN FOR CAUSE.— 
‘‘(I) IN
GENERAL.—A student 
athlete who has received athletically 
related student aid from an institution 
of higher education for participation 
in an athletic program and who is 
maintaining academic standing con-
sistent with the requirements for 
graduation, but who will not receive 
such aid for all or part of an academic 
year because the student was involun-
tarily dismissed from participation in 
such athletic program shall be pro-
vided with institutional student aid in 
an amount equivalent to the amount 
the student would have received in 
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athletically related student aid for 
such academic year (or part thereof) 
if the student had not been dismissed. 
‘‘(II) PERIOD OF AID.—The in-
stitution shall provide institutional 
student aid required under subclause 
(I) for a period that, combined with 
the total duration of time the student 
previously received athletically related 
student aid, is equal to 5 academic 
years, or until the student athlete 
completes the athlete’s undergraduate 
degree, whichever is time period short-
er. The institution may, at its discre-
tion, provide institutional student aid 
for an additional period. 
‘‘(iv) LOSS FOR CAUSE.— 
‘‘(I) 
IN
GENERAL.—Notwith-
standing clauses (i) through (iii), a 
student athlete who has received ath-
letically related student aid from an 
institution of higher education for 
participation in an athletic program 
shall not be eligible for institutional 
student aid required under this para-
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graph if the student is dismissed from 
participation in such program or oth-
erwise denied such aid for cause, ex-
cept that a student athlete may ap-
peal the loss of athletically related 
student aid to the institution or an 
athletic association of which the insti-
tution is a member, as appropriate. 
‘‘(II) 
FOR
CAUSE.—In 
this 
clause, the term ‘for cause’ means 
that the student was found by the in-
stitution of higher education to have 
violated 
academic 
or 
disciplinary 
standards of the institution. 
‘‘(B) MANDATORY WORKSHOP.—At the be-
ginning of each academic year, each first-year 
and third-year student athlete shall be required 
to attend and complete an ‘Athletics Participa-
tion Readiness’ workshop conducted by the in-
stitution of higher education. Such workshop 
shall include— 
‘‘(i) information about the long-term 
dangers of concussions and head injuries 
that shall be administered by a health care 
professional and include recent data from 
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the Centers for Disease Control and Pre-
vention; 
‘‘(ii) information concerning financial 
aid and debt management; 
‘‘(iii) a recommended budget for stu-
dent athletes for the academic year, based 
on the institution’s cost of attendance for 
such academic year, that accounts for 
whether the student athlete receives athlet-
ically related student aid that covers all or 
part of such cost, and whether the student 
lives on or off campus; 
‘‘(iv) information on time manage-
ment skills necessary for success as a stu-
dent athlete; 
‘‘(v) academic resources available on 
campus, including tutoring, career develop-
ment, and career search resources; and 
‘‘(vi) an explanation of the institu-
tion’s responsibilities and obligations to the 
student athletes with respect to scholarship 
renewal, medical insurance, and medical 
payments for injury and illness resulting 
from participation in an athletic program. 
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‘‘(C) DISCIPLINARY ACTIONS.—A student 
athlete who faces loss or reduction of athlet-
ically related student aid for a violation of a 
disciplinary standard of the institution of high-
er education shall be provided the opportunity 
for a formal administrative hearing, not less 
than 1 appeal, and any other due process proce-
dure the Secretary determines by regulation to 
be necessary. 
‘‘(D) TRANSFER
REQUESTS.—Each re-
quest by a student athlete submitted to the in-
stitution of higher education for a transfer to 
another institution of higher education shall be 
granted or denied by the institution at which 
the student is enrolled not later than 7 business 
days after the date on which such request is 
submitted to such institution. 
‘‘(E) HEALTH CARE COSTS.— 
‘‘(i) PELL ELIGIBLE STUDENTS.—Ex-
cept as provided in clause (iv), each stu-
dent athlete who is eligible to receive a 
Federal Pell Grant under subpart 1 of part 
A, shall be provided with institutional aid, 
paid to the student directly or to the in-
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surer of such student on the student’s be-
half, in an amount sufficient to cover— 
‘‘(I) during the period of the stu-
dent’s participation in an athletic pro-
gram of the institution— 
‘‘(aa) the premium applica-
ble to the insurance plan in 
which the student is enrolled; 
‘‘(bb) any deductible appli-
cable to such plan; and 
‘‘(cc) any other cost-sharing 
or other out-of-pocket expenses of 
the student with respect to such 
plan, including co-payments; and 
‘‘(II) in the case in which the 
student suffers an injury or illness re-
sulting from the student’s participa-
tion in an athletic program of the in-
stitution— 
‘‘(aa) the health insurance 
costs described in items (aa) 
through (cc) of subclause (I) dur-
ing the period of the student’s 
participation in an athletic pro-
gram of the institution; and 
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