H.R. 2688

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2688 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 2688

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.

_______________________________________________________________________

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.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ``Protecting Student Athletes' 
Economic Freedom Act of 2025''.

SEC. 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.

SEC. 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.
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