H.R. 2688

119 HR 2688 IH: Protecting Student Athletes’ Economic Freedom Act of 2025
 U.S. House of Representatives
 2025-04-07
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 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.