Source: http://wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Status/bills_text.cfm?billdoc=SB490%20INTR.htm&yr=2018&sesstype=RS&i=490
Timestamp: 2020-08-05 05:13:16
Document Index: 358641617

Matched Legal Cases: ['§30', '§30', '§30', '§30', '§30', '§30', '§30', '§30', '§30', '§30', '§30', '§30', '§30', '§30', '§30', '§30', '§30', '§30', '§29', '§27', '§30', '§30', '§30', '§30', '§30', '§30', '§47']

A BILL to amend and reenact §30-39-1, §30-39-2, §30-39-3, §30-39-4, §30-39-5, §30-39-6, §30-39-7, §30-39-9, §30-39-10, §30-39-11, §30-39-12, §30-39-13, §30-39-14, §30-39-15, §30-39-16, §30-39-19, and §30-39-21 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, all relating to adopting the Revised Uniform Athlete Agents Act of 2015; modifying and adding definitions; granting rule-making authority to the Secretary of State; appointing Secretary of State as agent for service of process on nonresident athlete agent; establishing seven-day limit on athlete agent to register; requiring additional information in registration process; allowing for reciprocal registration; allowing the Secretary of State to consider whether the athlete agent has pled guilty or no contest to a crime of moral turpitude in its decision to issue registration; providing requirements for reciprocal renewals of registration; providing Secretary of State authority to suspend or revoke registration for same reasons as would justify refusal to issue certificate of registration; increasing fees; adding information to required contract terms; requiring certain notices by athlete agent to educational institutions; allowing parent and guardian of student athlete ability to cancel contract; requiring athlete agent to create certain sources of information; expanding scope of who might engage in prohibited conduct under the act; expanding scope of who can be charged with a criminal violation of the act; enabling student athletes to bring civil action for act or omission of athlete agent; making a civil violation an unfair trade or deceptive practice under West Virginia law; establishing relation to the Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act; and modifying effective date.
(2) “Athlete agent” means an individual who enters into an agency contract with a student-athlete or, directly or indirectly, recruits or solicits a student-athlete to enter into an agency contract. The term includes an individual who represents to the public that the individual is an athlete agent. The term does not include a spouse, parent, sibling, grandparent, or guardian of the student-athlete or an individual acting solely on behalf of a professional sports team or professional sports organization:
(A) means an individual, whether or not registered under this [act], who:
(ii) for compensation or in anticipation of compensation related to a student athlete’s participation in athletics:
(iii) in anticipation of representing a student athlete for a purpose related to the athlete’s participation in athletics:
(4) “Contact” means a communication, direct or indirect, between an athlete agent and a student-athlete, to recruit or solicit the student-athlete to enter into an agency contract. “Educational institution” includes a public or private elementary school, secondary school, technical or vocational school, community college, college, and university.
(6) (7) “Intercollegiate sport” means a sport played at the collegiate level for which eligibility requirements for participation by a student-athlete are established by a national association for the promotion or regulation of collegiate athletics.
(7) (10) “Person” means an individual, corporation, business trust, estate, trust, partnership, limited liability company, association, joint venture, government; governmental subdivision, agency, or instrumentality; public corporation, or any other legal or commercial entity.
(8) (11) “Professional-sports-services contract” means an agreement under which an individual is employed or agrees to render services, as a player on a professional sports team, with a professional sports organization, or as a professional athlete as a professional athlete or agrees to render services as a player on a professional sports team or with a professional sports organization.
(9) (12) “Record” means information that is inscribed on a tangible medium or that is stored in an electronic or other medium and is retrievable in perceivable form.
(13) “Recruit or solicit” means attempt to influence the choice of an athlete agent by a student athlete or, if the athlete is a minor, a parent or guardian of the athlete. The term does not include giving advice on the selection of a particular agent in a family, coaching, or social situation unless the individual giving the advice does so because of the receipt or anticipated receipt of an economic benefit, directly or indirectly, from the agent.
(10) (14) “Registration” means registration as an athlete agent pursuant to this article.
(11) (16) “State” means a state of the United States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the United States Virgin Islands or any territory or insular possession subject to the jurisdiction of the United States.
(12) (17) “Student-athlete” means an individual who engages in, is eligible to engage in, or may be eligible in the future to engage in, any intercollegiate sport. If an individual is permanently ineligible to participate in a particular intercollegiate sport, the individual is not a student-athlete for purposes of that sport is eligible to attend an educational institution and engages in, is eligible to engage in, or may be eligible in the future to engage in, any interscholastic or intercollegiate sport. The term does not include an individual permanently ineligible to participate in a particular interscholastic or intercollegiate sport for that sport.
§30-39-3. Service of process; subpoenas Secretary of State; Authority; Procedure.
(a) By acting as an athlete agent in this state, a nonresident individual appoints the Secretary of State as the individual's agent for service of process in any civil action in this state related to the individual's acting as an athlete agent in this state The Secretary of State has authority to propose rules for legislative approval in accordance with §29A-3-1 et seq. of this code, to implement the provisions of this article.
(b) By acting as an athlete agent in this state, a nonresident individual appoints the Secretary of State as the individual’s agent for service of process in any civil action in this state related to the individual acting as an athlete agent in this state.
(1) The name of the applicant and the address of the applicant's principal place of business The name and date and place of birth of the applicant and the following contact information for the applicant:
(3) Each social-media account with which the applicant or the applicant’s business or employer is affiliated;
(6) The name of each student athlete for whom the applicant acted as an athlete agent within five years before the date of the application or, if the individual is a minor, the name of the parent or guardian of the minor, together with the athlete’s sport and last-known team;
(A) With respect to the athlete agent's business if it is not a corporation, the partners, members, officers, managers, associates or profit-sharers of the business A partner, member, officer, manager, associate, or profit sharer or directly or indirectly holds an equity interest of five percent or greater of the athlete agent’s business if it is not a corporation; and
(8) Whether the applicant or any person named pursuant to subdivision (7) of this subsection has been convicted of a crime that, if committed in this state, would be a crime involving moral turpitude or a felony and, identify the crime A description of the status of any application by the applicant, or any person named under paragraph (7), for a state or federal business, professional, or occupational license, other than as an athlete agent, from a state or federal agency, including any denial, refusal to renew, suspension, withdrawal, or termination of the license and any reprimand or censure related to the license.
(9) Whether there has been any administrative or judicial determination that the applicant or any person named pursuant to subdivision (7) of this subsection has made a false, misleading, deceptive, or fraudulent representation the applicant, or any person named under paragraph (7), has pleaded guilty or no contest to, has been convicted of, or has charges pending for, a crime that would involve moral turpitude or be a felony if committed in this state and, if so, identification of:
(10) Any instance in which the conduct of the applicant or any person named pursuant to subdivision (7) of this subsection resulted in the imposition of a sanction, suspension, or declaration of ineligibility to participate in an interscholastic or intercollegiate athletic event on a student-athlete or educational institution Whether, within 15 years before the date of application, the applicant, or any person named under paragraph (7), has been a defendant or respondent in a civil proceeding, including a proceeding seeking an adjudication of involuntary hospitalization under §27-5-1 et seq. of this code , or a similar proceeding under the laws of this state, any other state, or the United States and, if so, the date and a full explanation of each proceeding;
(11) Any sanction, suspension, or disciplinary action taken against the applicant or any person named pursuant to subdivision (7) of this subsection arising out of occupational or professional conduct; and Whether the applicant, or any person named under paragraph (7), has an unsatisfied judgment or a judgment of continuing effect, including alimony or a domestic order in the nature of child support, which is not current at the date of the application;
(12) Whether there has been any denial of an application for, suspension or revocation of, or refusal to renew, the registration or licensure of the applicant or any person named pursuant to subdivision (7) of this subsection as an athlete agent in any state Whether, within 10 years before the date of application, the applicant, or any person named under paragraph (7), was adjudicated bankrupt or was an owner of a business that was adjudicated bankrupt;
(b) An individual who has submitted an application for, and holds a certificate of, registration or licensure as an athlete agent in another state, may submit a copy of the application and certificate in lieu of submitting an application in the form prescribed pursuant to subsection (a) of this section. The Secretary of State shall accept the application and the certificate from the other state as an application for registration in this state if the application to the other state Instead of proceeding under subsection (a), an individual registered as an athlete agent in another state may apply for registration as an athlete agent in this state by submitting to the Secretary of State:
(3) Was signed by the applicant under penalty of perjury A copy of the certificate of registration from the other state.
(a) Except as otherwise provided in subsection (b) of this section, the Secretary of State shall issue a certificate of registration to an individual who complies with §30-39-5(a) of this code or whose application has been accepted under §30-39-5(b) of this code.
(1) Been convicted of a crime that, if committed in this state, would be a crime involving moral turpitude or a felony Pleaded guilty or no contest to, has been convicted of, or has charges pending for, a crime that would involve moral turpitude or be a felony if committed in this state;
(1) Was submitted in the other state within six months next preceding the filing in this state and the applicant certifies the information contained in the application for renewal is current The registration requirements of the other state are substantially similar to or more restrictive than this;
(a) The Secretary of State may limit, suspend, revoke or refuse to renew a registration for conduct that would have justified denial of registration under §30-39-6(b) of this code.
b) The Secretary of State may deny, suspend, revoke or refuse to renew a certificate of registration or licensure only after proper notice and an opportunity for a hearing. The provisions of article five, chapter twenty-nine-a of this code apply to this article The Secretary of State may suspend or revoke the registration of an individual registered under §30-39-5(c) of this code or renewed under §30-39-6(e) of this code for any reason for which the Secretary of State could have refused to grant or renew registration or for conduct that would justify refusal to issue a certificate of registration under §30-39-6(b) of this code.
(2) Fifty dollars $100 dollars for an application for registration based upon a certificate of registration or licensure issued by another state;
(3) Ten dollars $50 dollars for an application for renewal of registration; or
(4) Ten dollars $50 dollars for an application for renewal of registration based upon an application for renewal of registration or licensure submitted in another state.
(1) (2) The amount and method of calculating the consideration to be paid by the student-athlete for services to be provided by the athlete agent under the contract and any other consideration the athlete agent has received or will receive from any other source for entering into the contract or for providing the services;
(2) (3) The name of any person not listed in the application for registration or renewal of registration who will be compensated because the student-athlete signed the agency contract;
(3) (4) A description of any expenses that the student-athlete agrees to reimburse;
(4) (5) A description of the services to be provided to the student-athlete;
(c) Subject to subsection (g), An an agency contract must contain, in close proximity to the signature of the student-athlete, a conspicuous notice in boldface type in capital letters stating:
(a) In this section, “communicating or attempting to communicate” means contacting or attempting to contact by an in-person meeting, a record, or any other method that conveys or attempts to convey a message.
(a) Within (b) Not later than 72 hours after entering into an agency contract or before the next scheduled athletic event in which the student-athlete may participate, whichever occurs first, the athlete agent shall give notice in a record of the existence of the contract to the athletic director of the educational institution at which the student-athlete is enrolled or which the athlete agent has reasonable grounds to believe the student-athlete intends to enroll.
(b) Within (c) Not later than 72 hours after entering into an agency contract or before the next athletic event in which the student-athlete may participate, whichever occurs first, the student-athlete shall inform the athletic director of the educational institution at which the student-athlete is enrolled that he or she has entered into an agency contract and the name and contact information of the athlete agent.
(h) An educational institution that becomes aware of a violation of this [act] by an athlete agent shall notify the Secretary of State and any professional league or players association with which the institution is aware the agent is licensed or registered of the violation.
(a) A student-athlete, or, if the athlete is a minor, the parent or guardian of the athlete may cancel an agency contract by giving notice of the cancellation to the athlete agent in a record within not later than 14 days after the contract is signed.
(b) A student-athlete, or, if the athlete is a minor, the parent or guardian of the athlete may not waive the right to cancel an agency contract.
(c) If a student-athlete, parent, or guardian cancels an agency contract, the student-athlete, parent, or guardian is not required to pay any consideration under the contract or to return any consideration received from the athlete agent to induce the student-athlete to enter into the contract.
(b) Records required by subsection (a) of this article section to be retained are open to inspection by the Secretary of State during normal business hours.
(a) An athlete agent, with the intent to induce influence a student-athlete or, if the athlete is a minor, a parent or guardian of the athlete to enter into an agency contract, may not take any of the following actions or encourage any other individual to take or assist any other individual in taking any of the following actions on behalf of the agent:
(1) Initiate contact with a student-athlete or, if the athlete is a minor, a parent or guardian of the athlete, to recruit or solicit the athlete, parent, or guardian to enter an agency contract unless registered under this article;
(6) Fail to notify a student-athlete or, if the athlete is a minor, a parent or guardian of the athlete, before the student-athlete, parent, or guardian signs or otherwise authenticates an agency contract for a particular sport that the signing or authentication may make the student-athlete ineligible to participate as a student-athlete in that sport.
(a) An educational institution or student athlete has a right of may bring an action for damages against an athlete agent if the institution or a former student-athlete for damages caused is adversely affected by an act or omission of the agent by a violation of this article. In an action under this section, the court may award to the prevailing party costs and reasonable attorney's fees An educational institution or student athlete is adversely affected by an act or omission of the agent only if, because of the act or omission, the institution or an individual who was a student athlete at the time of the act or omission and enrolled in the institution:
(1) Is suspended or disqualified from participation in an interscholastic or intercollegiate [sports] event by or under the rules of a state or national federation or association that promotes or regulates interscholastic or intercollegiate sports; or
(b) Damages of an educational institution under subsection (a) of this section include losses and expenses incurred because, as a result of the conduct of an athlete agent or former student-athlete, the educational institution was injured by a violation of this article or was penalized, disqualified or suspended from participation in athletics by a national association for the promotion and regulation of athletics, by an athletic conference, or by reasonable self-imposed disciplinary action taken to mitigate sanctions likely to be imposed by such an organization A plaintiff that prevails in an action under this section may recover actual damages, punitive damages, costs, and reasonable attorney’s fees. An athlete agent found liable under this section forfeits any right of payment for anything of benefit or value provided to the student athlete and shall refund any consideration paid to the agent by or on behalf of the athlete.
(c) A right of action under this section does not accrue until the educational institution discovers or by the exercise of reasonable diligence would have discovered the violation by the athlete agent or former student-athlete A violation of this article is an unfair trade or deceptive practice for purposes of §47-11A-1 et seq. of this code.
The provisions of this article governing the legal effect, validity, or enforceability of electronic records or signatures, and of contracts formed or performed with the use of such records or signatures conform to the requirements of Section 102 of the Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act, Pub. L. No. 106-229, 114 Stat. 464 (2000), and supersede, modify, and limit the Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act. This article modifies, limits, or supersedes the Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act, 15 U.S.C. Section 7001 et seq., but does not modify, limit, or supersede Section 101(c) of that act, 15 U.S.C. Section 7001(c), or authorize electronic delivery of any of the notices described in Section 103 (b) of that act, 15 U.S.C. Section 7003(b).
NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to incorporate changes in the Revised Uniform Athlete Agents Act of 2015 as approved and recommended for enactment in all states by the National Conference of Commissions on Uniform State Laws. The substantive changes modify the application process to create uniformity in reciprocity. It also amends the right to cancel an agency contract by permitting a student-athlete’s parent/guardian to terminate an agreement. It also creates a cause of action for educational institutions harmed by unlawful acts by an athlete agent.