This bill would give college athletes at both public and private universities the right to form unions and negotiate collectively with their schools for better pay, benefits, and working conditions. The bill defines college athletes as "employees" under federal labor law if they receive any direct compensation—such as athletic scholarships or grants-in-aid—in exchange for playing sports. It would amend the National Labor Relations Act to cover colleges and universities and allow athletes to bargain together across multiple schools within the same athletic conference to establish uniform standards for wages, health and safety protections, and other employment terms. The legislation argues that college athletes currently face exploitative practices through compensation caps and strict control over their work, and that organized labor representation would remedy this imbalance. The bill includes provisions protecting athletes from having to waive their organizing rights and clarifies that any compensation athletes receive would not change their tax status or affect their eligibility for federal financial aid.
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