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 em-
ployee of an institution, a conference, or an association 
based on participation in certain intercollegiate athletics. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Protecting Student 
Athletes’ Economic Freedom Act’’. 
SEC. 2. EMPLOYMENT STANDINGS. 
Notwithstanding any other provision of Federal or 
State law, a student athlete (or former student athlete) 
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may not be considered an employee of an institution, a 
conference, or an association under any Federal or State 
law or regulation based on participation of the student 
athlete (or former student athlete) in a varsity intercolle-
giate athletics program or a varsity intercollegiate ath-
letics competition, or the existence of rules or require-
ments for being a member of any varsity sports team. 
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) ASSOCIATION.—The term ‘‘association’’ 
means an organization that— 
(A) has multiple conferences and institu-
tions as members; 
(B) arranges championships for varsity 
intercollegiate athletics programs; 
(C) sets rules for varsity intercollegiate 
athletics programs; 
(D) sets rules for varsity intercollegiate 
athletics competitions; and 
(E) is not a conference. 
(2) CONFERENCE.—The term ‘‘conference’’ 
means an organization that— 
(A) has multiple institutions as members; 
(B) sets rules for varsity intercollegiate 
athletics competitions; 
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(C) arranges championships for varsity 
intercollegiate athletics programs; and 
(D) is not an association. 
(3) 
INSTITUTION.—The 
term 
‘‘institution’’ 
means an institution of higher education (as defined 
in section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 
(20 U.S.C. 1001)) that sponsors a varsity intercolle-
giate athletics program in the United States. 
(4) STUDENT
ATHLETE.—The term ‘‘student 
athlete’’ means an individual who participates in a 
varsity intercollegiate athletics program. 
(5) VARSITY
INTERCOLLEGIATE
ATHLETICS 
COMPETITION.—The term ‘‘varsity intercollegiate 
athletics competition’’ means a competition involving 
2 or more varsity intercollegiate athletics programs 
sponsored by different institutions. 
(6) VARSITY
INTERCOLLEGIATE
ATHLETICS 
PROGRAM.—The term ‘‘varsity intercollegiate ath-
letics program’’ means a team or other program unit 
of an institution participating in a sport— 
(A) played at the intercollegiate level; 
(B) administered by an athletic depart-
ment; and 
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(C) for which eligibility requirements for 
participation by student athletes are established 
by an association. 
(7) VARSITY SPORTS TEAM.—The term ‘‘varsity 
sports team’’— 
(A) means a team of student athletes orga-
nized by a varsity intercollegiate athletics pro-
gram to participate in a varsity intercollegiate 
athletics competition; and 
(B) does not include a team that is tradi-
tionally characterized as an intramural or club 
team. 
Æ 
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