Pontiac Times

Rep. Lisa McClain, an Education and Workforce Committee member, has introduced a bill to support college athletes. Named the Protecting Student Athletes’ Economic Freedom Act, the legislation aims to secure student-athletes' rights to profit from their name, image, and likeness (NIL).

"In America, hard work and talent should be rewarded. Student-athletes dedicate countless hours to their craft – they deserve the opportunity to benefit from their success. I am proud to introduce this bill, which is a step toward empowering and protecting student-athletes while removing unnecessary regulations that stifle their potential," McClain stated.

The proposed legislation seeks to prevent student-athletes from being classified as employees under federal and state labor laws. Such classification could affect their status as student-athletes if they participate in intercollegiate sports.

Tim Walberg, the Education and Workforce Committee Chairman, echoed these sentiments. "College athletics have allowed individuals to pursue an education while playing a sport they love. Unfortunately, politics has recently threatened this tradition through re-classifying them as employees and allowing them to unionize. This legislation will protect student-athletes' ability to benefit from the era of NIL while preventing them from being classified as employees. We must keep NLRB bureaucracy out of college sports," Walberg commented.

To access the full text of the bill, further reference is available online.