Protecting Student Athletes’ Economic Freedom Act of 2025

Bill: 119-hr-2688
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. McClain, Lisa C. [R-MI-9]
Introduced: 2025-04-07
Policy area: Sports and Recreation
Latest action: action_date: 2025-04-07
text: Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce.

Summaries:

tv_txt: I 119th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 2688 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES April 7, 2025 Mrs. McClain (for herself, Mr. Walberg , Mr. LaMalfa , Ms. Foxx , Mr. Aderholt , Mr. Thompson of Pennsylvania , Mr. Allen , Mr. Owens , Mr. Harris of North Carolina , and Mr. Onder ) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and 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. Short title This Act may be cited as the Protecting Student Athletes’ Economic Freedom Act of 2025 . 2. Employment standings Notwithstanding any other provision of Federal or State law, a student athlete (or former student athlete) 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 intercollegiate athletics program or a varsity intercollegiate athletics competition, or the existence of rules or requirements for being a member of any varsity sports team. 3. Definitions In this Act: (1) Association The term association means an organization that— (A) has multiple conferences and institutions 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; (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 intercollegiate 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 athletics 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 department; and (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 organized by a varsity intercollegiate athletics program to participate in a varsity intercollegiate athletics competition; and (B) does not include a team that is traditionally characterized as an intramural or club team.