Governor DeSantis Signs Bill to Empower Student Athletes and Support Professional Development

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TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Today, Governor Ron DeSantis was joined by student-athletes from Florida State University and the University of Florida to sign House Bill (HB) 7-B, revising Florida’s laws relating to Name, Image and Likeness (NIL). HB 7-B removes barriers for NIL while expanding financial literacy, life skills and entrepreneurship workshop requirements for athletes, requiring agents representing student-athletes to protect them from unauthorized use and exploitation of their NIL and specifying that postsecondary educational institutions are not liable for damages as a result of routine actions taken in the course of intercollegiate athletics.

“In 2020, we took a commonsense approach to ensure that student-athletes could control their name, image and likeness and be paid fairly for it,” said Governor Ron DeSantis. “Now that the NCAA has taken necessary steps to ensure fairness for student-athletes, we can focus on making sure that those athletes are supported and protected under the law.”

This bill requires student-athletes to participate in two financial literacy, life skills and entrepreneurship workshops before graduation. These courses cannot be identical and the second workshop must include more rigorous instruction. These workshops are an important step to ensure that student-athletes are equipped with the skills and knowledge necessary to handle the responsibilities that accompany NIL contracts and payments.

The bill also specifies that athlete agents who represent intercollegiate athletes for contracts related to the use of their NIL must protect the student from unauthorized or exploitative use of their NIL or their right to publicity.

Additionally, this legislation specifies that a postsecondary educational institution, including an athletic coach, is not liable for any damages to an intercollegiate athlete’s ability to earn compensation for use of their NIL as a result of decisions that are routinely taken in the course of intercollegiate athletics.

The bill repeals provisions previously signed into law in 2020.

To read the bill transmittal letter, click here.

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