Rep. Chip LaMarca didn’t intend to become an expert in name, image and likeness, but during the past three years the Florida legislator has a better understanding of its impact on college athletics.
“I’m an economics, environment and education priorities kind of guy in the legislative process and somehow I got pulled into this,” said LaMarca. “It’s an economic issue that also affects our education system.”
LaMarca, a Lighthouse Point Republican, has been at the forefront of NIL laws in Florida, helping sponsor the state’s current legislation that went into effect July 1, 2021. He recently filed a new NIL bill which he hopes will help even the playing field for the state’s universities and athletes.
The proposed bill (HB 99) would allow more institutional involvement from universities and colleges regarding NIL. It would enable colleges, universities and its employees to steer NIL opportunities toward athletes. The current legislation prohibits schools from having direct contact with athletes regarding NIL opportunities.
“If you think about what an athlete’s earlier life is like, no matter what their background is, they rely heavily on their coaches, the staff and the administration,” he said. “For them not to be able to have any conversations about what opportunities are out there was limiting our athletes.
“Now that we know where the NCAA is, and where the other schools are, we want to ensure that we’re all at least on a level playing field.”
Florida was one of the first of many states to establish its NIL legislation. The law was intended to provide structure and guardrails for the process instead of NCAA legislation. But when the organization took on a broader view of NIL, many states that had enacted their own laws began repealing them to allow universities the freedom to do much more with their athletes in the marketplaces.
“Florida started this process as a trailblazer and a leader in allowing these benefits, but also protecting our students with financial literacy and life skills,” LaMarca said. “We’re protecting them to ensure they’re not taken advantage of and they’re educated in the process.”
LaMarca doesn’t want Florida to repeal its law. Instead, he wants it tweaked to allow state schools to help provide more opportunities.
“I care that we’re competitive and I care that our state succeeds, but I care more about the athletes than anybody else,” he said. “I wanted to make sure that we kept the guardrails in for the protections for them.”
He filed a similar bill in 2022, but it didn’t make much progress through the legislature. This time around, LaMarca believes things could go differently.
“This year is different from last year from the simple fact that we have strong support from leadership, both in the House and the governor’s office and I assume so in the Senate as well,” he said.
LaMarca has heard from the athletic directors of many state schools, each willing to share their own stories or concerns about NIL. One of the issues is that states without NIL laws or relaxed legislation could entice Florida athletes to go to school out of state.
“We just want to be on that same playing field and all the folks that I’ve spoken to are very positive about it and are looking forward to moving this thing through. Hopefully, the sooner, the better,” he said.
LaMarca would like to expand the bill even further at some point to allow universities to provide advisory services to athletes that put them in touch with professionals on how to invest their money and navigate through tax issues they might face.
He points out that some state schools provide legal aid for students who may have issues such as landlord-tenant disputes. He wants similar counsel for athletes.
The bill should eventually move on to committee over the next five weeks, where it will be tweaked. Once the new legislative session begins in early March, it could find its way to the floor where it would be debated. If it makes it through, it could be on the governor’s desk and possibly signed by July 1.
This article first appeared on OrlandoSentinel.com. Email Matt Murschel at mmurschel@orlandosentinel.com or follow him on Twitter at @osmattmurschel.
