House Higher Education committee advances four bills on student pay, trucking workforce, IDA funding and military tuition waiver

The House Committee on Higher Education and Workforce Development advanced four bills in brief work sessions on April 1, moving each to the next legislative step after adopting or rejecting amendments as noted.

House Bill 3694 — student-athlete name, image and likeness: The committee approved the dash‑2 amendment and moved HB 3694 to the floor with a “do pass” recommendation. The bill, as summarized for the committee, protects a student athlete’s contract from public records disclosure, permits institutions to directly compensate student athletes or prospective student athletes for the use of their name, image, likeness or athletic reputation, and prohibits student athletes from using their name, image or likeness to promote certain products or brands. The dash‑2 amendment removed language that would have prohibited athletic associations or conferences from requiring disclosure of a student‑athlete contract. Vote: motion carried (7 yes, 0 no).

House Bill 3826 — trucking industry workforce program: The committee adopted the dash‑1 amendment which reduced the program appropriation from $5,000,000 to $2,000,000, and moved…