Intercollegiate athlete compensation and rights; workshops; limitation on liability; rulemaking authority

The Legislature finds that intercollegiate athletics provide intercollegiate athletes with significant educational opportunities. However, participation in intercollegiate athletics should not infringe upon an intercollegiate athlete’s ability to earn compensation for her or his name, image, or likeness. An intercollegiate athlete must have an equal opportunity to control and profit from the commercial use of her or his name, image, or likeness, and be protected from unauthorized appropriation and commercial exploitation of her or his right to publicity, including her or his name, image, or likeness. (1) For the purpose of this section, the term “postsecondary educational institution” means a state university, a Florida College System institution, or a private college or university receiving aid under chapter 1009. (2) A postsecondary educational institution must conduct at least two financial literacy, life skills, and entrepreneurship workshops, each for a minimum of 5 hours, before the graduation of an intercollegiate athlete. The workshops may not be identical, and the second workshop must include more rigorous instruction. The workshops may not be conducted in the same semester. Each workshop must, at a minimum, include information concerning entrepreneurship, financial aid, debt management, and a recommended budget for full and partial grant-in-aid intercollegiate athletes based on the current academic year’s cost of attendance. Each workshop must also include information on time management skills necessary for success as an intercollegiate athlete and available academic resources. Each workshop may not include any marketing, advertising, referral, or solicitation by providers of financial products or services. (3) A postsecondary educational institution or an employee of such institution, including an athletic coach, is not liable for any damages to an intercollegiate athlete’s ability to earn compensation for the use of her or his name, image, or likeness resulting from decisions and actions routinely taken in the course of intercollegiate athletics. (4) The Board of Governors and the State Board of Education shall adopt regulations and rules, respectively, to implement this section.