Economic Development Committee advances measures on college athlete NIL, minor‑league pay, disability employment and ALJ confirmations

FRANKFORT, Ky. — The House Standing Committee on Economic Development and Workforce Investment on Monday gave favorable reports to four Senate bills addressing college‑athlete name, image and likeness rules, a minor‑league baseball wage carve‑out, reforms to the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation (OVR) and a procedural change in appointing workers’‑compensation administrative law judges.

The measures — Senate Bills 3, 15, 103 and 201 — each passed the committee by recorded roll call and were reported favorably to the full House, committee members said. The bills drew varying levels of discussion: lawmakers and outside witnesses debated the scope and intent of the changes for college athletics and minor‑league players, and veteran disability‑services providers urged closer oversight and reporting of vocational rehabilitation programs.

Senate Bill 3: NIL framework for college athletes

Senator Max Wise, the bill sponsor, told the committee the measure updates Kentucky’s name, image and likeness (NIL) law to help keep public universities “competitive” and to reflect changes in college athletics since the state’s original NIL law in 2022. “It’s dealing with name, image, and likeness more commonly referred to as NIL,” Wise said while introducing the bill.

The committee adopted the bill with a favorable report. Wise emphasized the measure applies only to college athletics and does not change rules for high school athletics or the Kentucky High School Athletic Association. He urged federal and NCAA action to reduce repeated state‑by‑state fixes.

Senate Bill 15: Minor‑league baseball wages and an emergency clause

Senator Amanda Mays Bledsoe and Josh Alkins, senior vice president of government relations for Major League Baseball, explained Senate Bill 15 removes minor‑league players covered by a negotiated collective bargaining agreement (CBA) from certain state wage‑and‑hour rules so the CBA, including housing, meals and year‑round health coverage, governs compensation.

Alkins described the proposal as reflecting the parties’ negotiated structure and said it recognizes the seasonal and developmental nature of minor‑league play. He told the committee that, under the CBA, the minimum weekly salary is $920 at the Single‑A level and $1,225 at the Double‑A level, not including housing, meals and health benefits provided under the agreement. The committee passed SB 15 as amended by a committee sub and added a title amendment.

Senate Bill 103: OVR oversight and reporting, preference for in‑state services

Senator Danny Carroll and invited witnesses from community rehabilitation providers described Senate Bill 103 as a package to increase transparency, reporting and preference for in‑state providers under the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation (OVR). Annette Jett, CEO of the Kentucky Association of Community Rehabilitation Providers, said providers help people with disabilities find competitive, integrated employment and urged reforms to increase accountability and funding stability.

Carroll said the bill would place OVR regulations under chapter 13A, add a reporting requirement to the governor’s office and a relevant interim legislative committee, and require the executive director to prefer in‑state services so long as doing so does not limit an individual’s ability to receive needed out‑of‑state services. Carroll said the bill’s in‑state preference language mirrors federal regulation and is not intended to block services that are only available out of state. Providers testified that state utilization of federal funds has lagged and that money returned to the federal government has reduced available resources.

Senate Bill 201: Timing of appointment for workers’‑compensation ALJs

Senator Philip Wheeler described SB 201 as a procedural change clarifying when appointive administrative law judges for the workers’‑compensation system take office. The bill would require selected ALJs to take office only after Senate confirmation, rather than immediately upon appointment, a change supporters said would reduce the risk for appointees who leave private practice only to be denied confirmation. Wheeler described the change as a modest stability improvement to a system he said has been a model for other states.

Votes at a glance

- Senate Bill 3 (student athletes/NIL): Passed committee with favorable expression. Second recorded by Representative Calloway. (Roll call recorded in committee.) - Senate Bill 15 (minor‑league wage exception; emergency clause): Passed as amended by committee sub; title amendment adopted. (Witness: Josh Alkins, Major League Baseball.) - Senate Bill 103 (Office of Vocational Rehabilitation reporting, in‑state preference): Passed as amended by House committee sub; sponsors and multiple provider witnesses urged oversight and continued funding. - Senate Bill 201 (workers’‑compensation ALJ appointment timing): Passed with favorable expression.

What lawmakers said and next steps

Committee members who spoke in favor described practical aims of the bills: updating NIL rules in a changing college athletics environment, aligning minor‑league compensation treatment with negotiated national agreements, increasing oversight and reporting for vocational rehabilitation, and reducing appointment risks for ALJs. Representative John Jackson voiced concern about downstream effects of NIL and the possibility of similar changes reaching high schools; he said he fears a “slippery slope” for younger athletics.

All four bills were reported favorably to the House. The committee chair asked members to watch email for a possible special meeting next week.

(Quotes and details are drawn from the committee’s public hearing transcript.)