Following California’s footsteps, Illinois State Representative Emanuel “Chris” Welch has introduced a bill that would allow college athletes to receive compensation.
Students enrolled in Illinois’ four-year public or private universities will be compensated for the use of their name, image and likeness under House Bill 3904, or the Student-Athlete Endorsement Act.
“This measure is about equity and fairness to our college athletes, who have essentially been used to generate massive profits for their schools, without receiving a dollar in return,” Welch said.
“My bill ends that discriminatory practice and allows these students to share in the profits they are creating.”
The bill was introduced the same day when California Governor Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill 206, or The Fair Pay to Play Act, allowing college athletes to sign sponsorship deals and receive compensation.
Welch’s bill would prohibit the NCAA from banning Illinois schools from intercollegiate sports if their athletes sign sponsorship deals.
“The rules that athletic associations like the NCAA are arbitrary and should not be the governing principles of college sports that both restricts athletes from just compensation but threatens universities from participating in sports,” he added.
New York is another state to follow California in proposing a collegiate athletic participation compensation act. Introduced by Senator Kevin Parker, the bill goes a step ahead and directs post-secondary institutions to distribute 15 percent of their revenue earned through event ticket sales among student-athletes at the end of every school year.
California Governor Defies NCAA, Signs Student Athletes Pay Bill