A Republican House representative plans to table a bill that would force the NCAA to allow athletes to be paid while in college.
Mark Walker, the representative for North Carolina's sixth congressional district, expects to put forth the Student-Athlete Equity Act next week, according to The News and Observer's Brian Murphy.
The proposed legislation would modify "the definition of a qualified amateur sports organization in the tax code," giving collegiate players full control of their publicity rights and allowing them to be compensated on uses of their name, image, or likeness, according to a press release from Walker's office.
Signing an athletic scholarship with a school should not be a moratorium on your rights to your name, image, and self-worth. We have a plan to fix college sports without asking the #NCAA or our universities to pay a dollar: the Student-Athlete Equity Act. https://t.co/pSpfliZyOG
— Rep. Mark Walker (@RepMarkWalker) March 7, 2019
Walker notes the bill wouldn't produce more costs for the schools or the organization, but rather alleviate the strict income restraints athletes currently face.
"They've had time to have their meetings," Walker said. "Here's the thing: we're not asking the university, we're not asking the NCAA to pay a single dollar into this.
"You've done your part offering a full scholarship. Just don't restrict the rest of it."
