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College Athlete Right to Organize Act

USA119th CongressS-2469| Senate 
| Updated: 7/28/2025
Christopher Murphy

Christopher Murphy

Democratic Senator

Connecticut

Cosponsors (2)
Elizabeth Warren (Democratic)Bernard Sanders (Independent)

Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee

  • Introduced
  • In Committee
  • On Floor
  • Passed Chamber
  • Enacted
The College Athlete Right to Organize Act aims to establish collective bargaining rights for college athletes by amending the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA). Congress finds that college athletes face exploitative practices from the NCAA and member institutions, which deny them basic economic and labor rights by classifying them as amateurs. The bill asserts that college athletes exhibit the markers of employment, performing valuable services for compensation like grant-in-aid and stipends, under significant institutional control. To achieve its purpose, the bill significantly amends the NLRA. It redefines "employer" to include public institutions of higher education concerning college athlete employees. An individual participating in intercollegiate sports who is a student and receives any form of direct compensation (including grant-in-aid) requiring sport participation is considered an "employee" under the Act. Furthermore, the legislation allows for the formation of multiemployer bargaining units for college athlete employees within an intercollegiate athletic conference, provided employee representatives consent. It mandates that the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) exercise jurisdiction over all collective bargaining matters involving these institutions and college athlete employees. The bill also prohibits any agreement that waives or permits noncompliance with its provisions. Importantly, the Act clarifies that its provisions do not alter the tax treatment of direct compensation or affect eligibility for federal financial assistance. It specifies that direct compensation will not automatically become taxable income, nor will individuals be treated as employees for employment tax purposes, if they were not already. The bill also ensures that the treatment of qualified scholarships under existing tax law remains unchanged.
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Timeline

Bill from Previous Congress

S 117-1929
College Athlete Right To Organize Act

Bill from Previous Congress

S 118-3415
College Athlete Right to Organize Act
Jul 23, 2025

Latest Companion Bill Action

HR 119-4693
Introduced in House
Jul 28, 2025
Introduced in Senate
Jul 28, 2025
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
  • Bill from Previous Congress

    S 117-1929
    College Athlete Right To Organize Act


  • Bill from Previous Congress

    S 118-3415
    College Athlete Right to Organize Act


  • July 23, 2025

    Latest Companion Bill Action

    HR 119-4693
    Introduced in House


  • July 28, 2025
    Introduced in Senate


  • July 28, 2025
    Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

Labor and Employment

Related Bills

  • HR 119-4693: College Athlete Right to Organize Act

College Athlete Right to Organize Act

USA119th CongressS-2469| Senate 
| Updated: 7/28/2025
The College Athlete Right to Organize Act aims to establish collective bargaining rights for college athletes by amending the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA). Congress finds that college athletes face exploitative practices from the NCAA and member institutions, which deny them basic economic and labor rights by classifying them as amateurs. The bill asserts that college athletes exhibit the markers of employment, performing valuable services for compensation like grant-in-aid and stipends, under significant institutional control. To achieve its purpose, the bill significantly amends the NLRA. It redefines "employer" to include public institutions of higher education concerning college athlete employees. An individual participating in intercollegiate sports who is a student and receives any form of direct compensation (including grant-in-aid) requiring sport participation is considered an "employee" under the Act. Furthermore, the legislation allows for the formation of multiemployer bargaining units for college athlete employees within an intercollegiate athletic conference, provided employee representatives consent. It mandates that the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) exercise jurisdiction over all collective bargaining matters involving these institutions and college athlete employees. The bill also prohibits any agreement that waives or permits noncompliance with its provisions. Importantly, the Act clarifies that its provisions do not alter the tax treatment of direct compensation or affect eligibility for federal financial assistance. It specifies that direct compensation will not automatically become taxable income, nor will individuals be treated as employees for employment tax purposes, if they were not already. The bill also ensures that the treatment of qualified scholarships under existing tax law remains unchanged.
View Full Text

Suggested Questions

Get AI-generated questions to help you understand this bill better

Timeline

Bill from Previous Congress

S 117-1929
College Athlete Right To Organize Act

Bill from Previous Congress

S 118-3415
College Athlete Right to Organize Act
Jul 23, 2025

Latest Companion Bill Action

HR 119-4693
Introduced in House
Jul 28, 2025
Introduced in Senate
Jul 28, 2025
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
  • Bill from Previous Congress

    S 117-1929
    College Athlete Right To Organize Act


  • Bill from Previous Congress

    S 118-3415
    College Athlete Right to Organize Act


  • July 23, 2025

    Latest Companion Bill Action

    HR 119-4693
    Introduced in House


  • July 28, 2025
    Introduced in Senate


  • July 28, 2025
    Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
Christopher Murphy

Christopher Murphy

Democratic Senator

Connecticut

Cosponsors (2)
Elizabeth Warren (Democratic)Bernard Sanders (Independent)

Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee

Labor and Employment

Related Bills

  • HR 119-4693: College Athlete Right to Organize Act
  • Introduced
  • In Committee
  • On Floor
  • Passed Chamber
  • Enacted