House Bill 819 Summary

• Revises Mississippi's Uniform Athlete Agents Act to conform to the 2015 amended model act adopted by the Uniform Law Commission, updating definitions and regulatory procedures for athlete agents.

• Expands the definition of "athlete agent" to include individuals who recruit student-athletes, provide financial/business advisory services for compensation, or give consideration in anticipation of representation, with exceptions for licensed professionals and professional sports team representatives.

• Requires athlete agents to register with the Secretary of State and provide detailed application information including criminal history, professional licenses, prior conduct, student-athlete representations, and business affiliations; allows reciprocal registration from agents registered in other states with substantially similar requirements.

• Mandates athlete agents provide written notice to educational institutions within 72 hours of entering agency contracts with student-athletes and requires contracts to include warnings that signing may result in loss of athletic eligibility; allows student-athletes to cancel contracts within 14 days.

• Increases maximum civil penalties from $25,000 to $50,000 for violations; creates new private right of action for student-athletes and educational institutions to recover treble damages, punitive damages, and attorney's fees; establishes that educational institutions retain authority to regulate agent interactions with student-athletes.