Signed by Governor Phil Murphy

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to concur with House amendments and pass a bill that authorizes collegiate student-athletes to earn compensation.

Highlights:

• Prohibits 4-year institutions of higher education from doing any of the following (Sec. 2):

• Upholding any rule, requirement, standard, or other limitation that prevents a student who participates in intercollegiate athletics from earning compensation as a result of the use of the student’s name, image, or likeness;

• Using compensation earned for the use of a student’s name, image, or likeness to determine institutional scholarship eligibility;

• Revoking an institutional scholarship as a result of a student earning compensation or obtaining professional representation;

• Providing a prospective student-athlete with compensation in relation to the student-athlete’s name, image, or likeness; or 

• Preventing a student participating in intercollegiate athletics from obtaining professional representation in relation to contracts or legal matters including, but not limited to, representation provided by athlete agents or legal representation provided by attorneys.

• Prohibits students participating in intercollegiate athletics from entering into a contract and earning compensation as a result of the use of the student’s name, image, or likeness in connection with any person or company associated with any of the following (Sec. 2, 4):

• Adult entertainment products and services;

• Alcohol products;

• Casinos and gambling;

• Tobacco and electronic smoking products;

• Pharmaceuticals;

• A controlled dangerous substance; and 

• Weapons. 

• Requires a student-athlete’s institutional scholarship to be revoked if they earn compensation for the use of a student’s name, image, or likeness in connection with any of the above products and services (Sec. 2).

• Prohibits a 4-year institution of higher education, an entity whose purpose includes supporting or benefitting the institution or its athletic programs, or any officer, director, or employee of the institution or entity, from compensating a current or prospective student-athlete participating in intercollegiate athletics for the use of the student’s name image or likeness (Sec. 3).

• Requires student-athletes who enter into a contract providing compensation for the use of their name, image, or likeness to disclose the contract to an official of the 4-year institution of higher education (Sec. 4).

• Prohibits a student-athlete from entering into a contract that conflicts with a provision of the student-athlete’s team contract (Sec. 4).

• Authorizes an institutional team contract to allow the institution, athletic association, conference, or another group with authority over the intercollegiate athletics to use the athlete’s name, image, or likeness for advertising and marketing purposes without additional compensation paid to the student-athlete (Sec. 4).

Full Bill Text

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to amend and pass a bill that authorizes collegiate student-athletes to earn compensation.

Highlights:

• Prohibits 4-year institutions of higher education from doing any of the following (Sec. 2):

• Upholding any rule, requirement, standard, or other limitation that prevents a student who participates in intercollegiate athletics from earning compensation as a result of the use of the student’s name, image, or likeness;

• Using compensation earned for the use of a student’s name, image, or likeness to determine institutional scholarship eligibility;

• Revoking an institutional scholarship as a result of a student earning compensation or obtaining professional representation;

• Providing a prospective student-athlete with compensation in relation to the student-athlete’s name, image, or likeness; or 

• Preventing a student participating in intercollegiate athletics from obtaining professional representation in relation to contracts or legal matters including, but not limited to, representation provided by athlete agents or legal representation provided by attorneys.

• Prohibits students participating in intercollegiate athletics from entering into a contract and earning compensation as a result of the use of the student’s name, image, or likeness in connection with any person or company associated with any of the following (Sec. 2, 4):

• Adult entertainment products and services;

• Alcohol products;

• Casinos and gambling;

• Tobacco and electronic smoking products;

• Pharmaceuticals;

• A controlled dangerous substance; and 

• Weapons. 

• Requires a student-athlete’s institutional scholarship to be revoked if they earn compensation for the use of a student’s name, image, or likeness in connection with any of the above products and services (Sec. 2).

• Prohibits a 4-year institution of higher education, an entity whose purpose includes supporting or benefitting the institution or its athletic programs, or any officer, director, or employee of the institution or entity, from compensating a current or prospective student-athlete participating in intercollegiate athletics for the use of the student’s name image or likeness (Sec. 3).

• Requires student-athletes who enter into a contract providing compensation for the use of their name, image, or likeness to disclose the contract to an official of the 4-year institution of higher education (Sec. 4).

• Prohibits a student-athlete from entering into a contract that conflicts with a provision of the student-athlete’s team contract (Sec. 4).

• Authorizes an institutional team contract to allow the institution, athletic association, conference, or another group with authority over the intercollegiate athletics to use the athlete’s name, image, or likeness for advertising and marketing purposes without additional compensation paid to the student-athlete (Sec. 4).

Full Bill Text