HB 1068 Summary

• Allows student-athletes at Mississippi postsecondary educational institutions to earn compensation commensurate with market value for use of their name, image, or likeness while enrolled, but prohibits compensation based on athletic ability or participation in sports.

• Prohibits postsecondary institutions, athletic associations (including NCAA and NJCAA), and boosters from preventing student-athletes from earning name, image, and likeness compensation or from entering into name, image, and likeness agreements with third parties.

• Requires student-athletes to disclose name, image, and likeness contracts to their institution and prohibits contracts that would induce enrollment at a specific institution or endorse gambling, sports betting, controlled substances, tobacco, alcohol, or products inconsistent with institutional values.

• Establishes the Uniform Athlete Agents Act requiring athlete agents to register with the Mississippi Secretary of State, with registration fees of $200.00 and criminal background checks, and prohibiting agents from providing advance compensation or materially false information to student-athletes.

• Makes violations of athlete agent regulations felonies punishable by fines up to $10,000 and up to two years imprisonment, and allows educational institutions to sue agents for damages caused by violations; act effective July 1, 2022.