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HB971 • 2026

College student-athletes; biometric data, protections and limitations.

An Act to amend the Code of Virginia by adding a section numbered 23.1-408.2, relating to college student-athletes; biometric data; protections and limitations.

Education
Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor
Price
Last action
2026-04-06
Official status
Acts of Assembly Chapter
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Checked against official source text during the last sync.

Protecting College Student-Athletes' Biometric Data

This law stops colleges in Virginia from sharing student-athletes' biometric data without their permission and prevents contracts from requiring athletes to give up rights to this data.

What This Bill Does

  • Defines 'biometric data' as information like fingerprints, DNA, facial images, voice recordings, and health data that can identify a person.
  • Forbids colleges in Virginia from sharing student-athletes' biometric data with others without the athletes' written permission.
  • Stops anyone or any company from making it a condition of contracts for using an athlete's name, image, or likeness to require giving up rights to their biometric data.

Who It Names or Affects

  • College student-athletes in Virginia
  • Colleges and universities in Virginia that have sports teams

Terms To Know

Biometric data
Information like fingerprints, DNA, facial images, voice recordings, and health data used to identify a person.
Student-athlete
A student who participates in college sports teams.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The law does not specify what happens if colleges or companies break these rules.
  • It is unclear how strictly the term 'biometric data' will be interpreted by courts and institutions.

Bill History

  1. 2026-04-06 Governor

    Approved by Governor-Chapter 247 (effective 7/1/2026)

  2. 2026-04-06 Governor

    Approved by Governor-Chapter 247 (effective 7/1/2026)

  3. 2026-04-06 Governor

    Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0247)

  4. 2026-03-25 House

    Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 25, 2026

  5. 2026-03-25 Governor

    Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 13, 2026

  6. 2026-03-16 House

    Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB971)

  7. 2026-03-14 House

    Signed by Speaker

  8. 2026-03-14 Senate

    Signed by President

  9. 2026-03-14 House

    Enrolled

  10. 2026-03-14 House

    Bill text as passed House and Senate (HB971ER)

  11. 2026-03-09 Senate

    Read third time

  12. 2026-03-09 Senate

    Passed Senate Block Vote (40-Y 0-N 0-A)

  13. 2026-03-06 Senate

    Rules suspended

  14. 2026-03-06 Senate

    Passed by for the day

  15. 2026-03-06 Senate

    Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 2nd reading) (39-Y 0-N 0-A)

  16. 2026-03-06 Senate

    Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote)

  17. 2026-03-05 Education and Health

    Reported from Education and Health (15-Y 0-N)

  18. 2026-03-02 Higher Education

    Assigned Education sub: Higher Education

  19. 2026-02-18 Senate

    Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading)

  20. 2026-02-18 Education and Health

    Referred to Committee on Education and Health

  21. 2026-02-17 House

    Read third time and passed House (93-Y 3-N 0-A)

  22. 2026-02-16 House

    Read second time and engrossed

  23. 2026-02-13 House

    Read first time

  24. 2026-02-11 Education

    Reported from Education (19-Y 1-N 1-A)

  25. 2026-02-09 Higher Education

    Subcommittee recommends reporting (6-Y 3-N)

  26. 2026-02-09 House

    Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB971)

  27. 2026-02-05 Higher Education

    Assigned HED sub: Higher Education

  28. 2026-01-13 House

    Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26103119D

  29. 2026-01-13 Education

    Referred to Committee on Education

Official Summary Text

College student-athletes; biometric data; protections and limitations.
Prohibits any private institution of higher education, associate-degree-granting public institution of higher education, or baccalaureate public institution of higher education in the Commonwealth from disclosing to any individual or entity outside of the institution any enrolled student-athlete's biometric data, as defined in the bill, without the prior written consent of the student-athlete. The bill also prohibits any individual or entity from making the possession, use, or ownership of or the rights to any student-athlete's biometric data a condition of any contract with the student-athlete for the use of the student-athlete's name, image, or likeness without the prior written consent of the student-athlete in a writing that is separate and apart from such contract.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
An Act to amend the Code of Virginia by adding a section numbered
23.1-408.2
, relating to college student-athletes; biometric data; protections and limitations.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:
1. That the Code of Virginia is amended by adding a section numbered
23.1-408.2
as follows:
§
23.1-408.2
. Student-athletes; biometric data; protection and limitations.
A. As used in this section:
"Biometric data" means an individual's physiological, biological, or behavioral characteristics that are used or intended to be used alone or in combination with other identifying data to establish such individual's identity. "Biometric data" includes information pertaining to an individual's deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA); imagery of the iris, retina, fingerprint, face, hand, palm, and vein patterns and voice recordings from which an identifier template, such as a faceprint, a minutiae template, or a voiceprint, can be extracted; keystroke patterns or rhythms; gait patterns or rhythms; and sleep, health, or exercise data that contain identifying information.
"Institution" means the same as that term is defined in §
23.1-408.1
.
"Student-athlete" means the same as that term is defined in §
23.1-408.1
.
B. No institution shall disclose to any individual or entity outside of the institution any enrolled student-athlete's biometric data without the prior written consent of the student-athlete.
C. No individual or entity shall make the possession, use, or ownership of or the rights to any student-athlete's biometric data a condition of any contract with the student-athlete for the use of the student-athlete's name, image, or likeness without the prior written consent of the student-athlete in a writing that is separate and apart from such contract.