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ENROLLED ORIGINAL
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A RESOLUTION
26-113
IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
May 6, 2025
To declare the existence of an emergency with respect to the need to amend section 215 of the
Uniform College Athlete Name, Image, or Likeness Act of 2022 to permit an institution,
conference, or athletic association to assist a college athlete in selecting, arranging for, or
providing payment to a name, image, or likeness agent and in selecting, arranging for, or
collecting payment from a third party engaged in specific name, image, or likeness
agreements with college athletes, and to remove the prohibition against institutions or
conferences providing compensation to a college athlete for the use of the athlete’s
name, image, or likeness; and to amend section 5710 of Title 3 of the District of
Columbia Municipal Regulations to delay applicability of expanded financial disclosure
requirements for certain boards and commissions.
RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this resolution
may be cited as the “Uniform College Athlete Name, Image, or Likeness Emergency Declaration
Resolution of 2025”.
Sec. 2. (a) On March 1, 2021, Chairman Phil Mendelson, at the request of the Uniform
Law Commission, introduced the Omnibus Uniform Athlete Agent and College Athlete Name,
Image, or Likeness Amendment Act of 2022, which contained the Uniform College Athlete
Name, Image, or Likeness Act of 2022 in Title II. The purpose of the legislation was to regulate
student-athlete compensation for the use of an athlete’s name, image, or likeness and to update
the District’s regulations of athlete agents. The Council adopted this legislation on February 23,
2023.
(b) Now, the District’s Uniform Law Commissioners propose an amendment to section
215 of the Uniform College Athlete Name, Image, or Likeness Act of 2022, effective February
23, 2023 (D.C. Law 24-245; D.C. Official Code § 38-1631.05). The amendment would authorize
institutions, athletic conferences, and athletic associations to assist college athletes in certain
activities related to the monetization of their name, image, or likeness (“NIL”), including
selecting an NIL agent. Additionally, the amendment eliminates the current prohibition that
prevents institutions or conferences from providing direct compensation to college athletes for
the use of their names, images, or likenesses.
ENROLLED ORIGINAL
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(c) On April 18, 2024, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (“NCAA”) amended
its bylaws to expand the permissible role of institutions in supporting student athlete NIL
activities. The NCAA bylaws are set to go into effect on July 1, 2025, pending court approval of
a settlement agreement in House v. NCAA. These developments broaden the scope of activities
that educational institutions may undertake to support college athletes in monetizing their NIL.
(d) Emergency legislation is necessary to align District law with the anticipated NCAA
framework and national legal landscape before the start of the next school year in August, which
will ensure that institutions and college athletes in the District are not placed at a competitive
disadvantage.
(e) In addition, in 2024, the Board of Ethics and Government Accountability (“BEGA”)
issued a rulemaking adding 47 new boards and commissions to the public financial disclosure
requirements. While this might be reasonable, the mostly volunteer members of these boards and
commissions were unaware until now, and members of some boards may not want to continue
their service if subject to public financial disclosure.
(f) Applicability of the new requirements should be paused until the end of the year, so that
Council committees may work with affected boards and commissions, as well as with BEGA, to
better understand the rationale behind the new requirements and whether other forms of
disclosure may be more appropriate.
(g) Emergency legislation is warranted because the BEGA public disclosures are due on May
15, 2025.
Sec. 3. The Council of the District of Columbia determines that the circumstances
enumerated in section 2 constitute emergency circumstances, making it necessary that the
Uniform College Athlete Name, Image, or Likeness Emergency Amendment Act of 2025 be
adopted after a single reading.
Sec. 4. This resolution shall take effect immediately.