Governor Ron DeSantis signed SB 646: Intercollegiate Athlete Compensation and Rights today. This legislation authorizes certain intercollegiate athletes to earn compensation for the use of their names, images, or likenesses.
“With the signing of this bill, Florida will be a state where talented athletes have the right to get paid for the use of their name, image or likeness,” said Governor DeSantis. “This is common sense policy that is long overdue and I’m proud that Florida has been a driving force behind the conversation for fairness in college athletics.”
“It is a great day in the state of Florida for all of our college athletes,” said Senator Debbie Mayfield. “SB 646 provides them the opportunity to receive reasonable compensation from the use of their name, image and likeness, just like every other college student. Thank you Governor Ron DeSantis for supporting Florida’s 11,000 talented student athletes in their efforts to access the Free Market.”
“Governor Ron DeSantis was an early supporter of this law,” said Representative Chip LaMarca. “Florida will now afford our state’s 11,000 collegiate athletes the ability to earn a living, the same as their fellow students. For far too long, the collegiate athletic system professionalized everyone associated with athletics except for the young women and men who put in all the hard work. Today, we changed that. I cannot thank the countless students, parents, professional athletes, coaches, and directors enough for helping to get this bill over the goal line. Thank you to Governor DeSantis for standing with Florida’s collegiate athletes.”
“This is about fairness. It was absolutely wrong to prevent these adults from earning compensation on their own name, image, or likeness,” said Representative Kionne McGhee. “These athletes have a limited window to earn compensation on their athletic careers, using their incredible skills to support themselves and their families. College sports is a multi-billion dollar industry and this action today puts us on the right side of history. To the athletes: we have heard you, fairness is here. While the NCAA’s rules unfairly limited these highly skilled experts, Florida has said loud and clear: that’s not acceptable in the Sunshine State.”
