House committee advances bill extending NIL guardrails to high school athletes
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Summary
The House Education Committee on April 1 advanced HB 513 to codify name, image and likeness policies for intercollegiate and interscholastic athletes, including institutional policy requirements and guardrails for minors; supporters said it protects students while opponents urged robust enforcement of agent registration.
The House Education Committee on Wednesday advanced legislation aimed at bringing clearer rules for student athletes’ use of their name, image and likeness (NIL) to Louisiana high schools and colleges.
Representative Landry presented House Bill 513 on behalf of Representative Young, saying the bill incorporates recommendations from a task force that studied NIL issues and ‘‘ensures our state keeps pace in the NIL space.’’ The bill would require institutions to adopt formal NIL policies, designate an institutional point of contact and set categories of NIL activity that are prohibited for minors.
Attorney General’s Office staff Julie Lyles told the committee the office has worked with the LHSAA and other stakeholders and described ‘‘a very collaborative effort’’ to develop the policies and enforcement framework. ‘‘We’re still in the beginning stages of working with them on any type of enforcement at the high school level,’’ Lyles said.
Coach John T. ‘‘JT’’ Curtis Jr., a witness who said he trains high‑school athletes, urged the committee to act to prevent exploitation. ‘‘If we don’t have guidance and direction, then it’ll create chaos,’’ Curtis said, warning that some agents ‘‘will shop these young people around … and the athlete is the one that pays,’’ and citing agent fees he said can reach ‘‘25% sometimes.’’
Kira Miracle Tilford, a Southern University student athlete, said third‑party companies already approach athletes and that the measure will ‘‘allow student athletes to trust’’ that their name and brand are protected.
Members questioned how enforcement would work at the high‑school level. Landry and witnesses said the LHSAA would distribute information and the attorney general’s office would play a role in registration and oversight, but several members asked for clarity on who would monitor individual cases.
The committee adopted a motion to report HB 513 favorably. The measure now moves toward floor consideration.
The committee’s discussion reflected bipartisan support for updating NIL rules and repeated requests that sponsors flesh out enforcement responsibilities and ensure agents are properly licensed and educated before representing minors.
