Key Takeaways from the House Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade Subcommittee Markup of the SCORE Act
July 16, 2025
The SCORE Act
Subcommittee Chairman Gus Bilirakis (R-FL-12):
“The result of all [our] work is the SCORE Act, a comprehensive, bipartisan solution that upholds the integrity of college sports and strengthens protections for student-athletes who make it all possible. It provides common sense guardrails around the transfer portal and agent disclosure, ensuring students are supported, not exploited, as they navigate life-changing decisions.”
Committee Chairman Brett Guthrie (R-FL-02):
“This legislation marks a significant step forward in providing a clear federal framework for the name, image and likeness marketplace in the college fractured NIL landscape that has developed in recent years has left athletes, schools, and conferences without certainty or guardrails.”
“Just last month, we saw a major milestone with the approval of the House settlement signaling a new era in college athletics. The SCORE Act builds upon this momentum by delivering the protections, clarity, and uniformity that student-athletes, institutions, and fans have long been asking for.”
“This legislation guarantees that student-athletes receive essential benefits to support their education, health, and long-term success. It protects student-athletes from bad actors and allows for rules that stabilize college sports to be enforced with revenue sharing as the new norm in college athletics. We must ensure that all athletic programs, from powerhouse football teams to smaller sports, have the tools to thrive.”
Representative Russell Fry (R-SC-07):
“The SCORE Act is a bipartisan piece of legislation that provides much-needed guardrails. It ensures student-athletes can benefit from their NIL while also protecting the broader ecosystem of collegiate athletics. Establishing school liability protections ensures compliance with fair rules and reduces the threat of frivolous lawsuits that strain university budgets and jeopardize athletic programs themselves.”
“[The bill] reaffirms that student-athletes are just that – students, not employees of the university, preserving the amateur spirit that distinguishes college sports from professional athletes. I fully support student-athletes being able to profit from their name, image, and likeness, but I do not support a system without rules, where everyone is left to fend for themselves without accountability.”
“This bill brings strong preemption because a patchwork of state laws is unsustainable and leads to competitive disadvantages. Without this preemption, athletes in different states will face unequal opportunities, confusing standards and enforcement gaps, undermining both competition and the athletic programs themselves.”
Need for Federal Action
Subcommittee Chairman Gus Bilirakis (R-FL-12):
“Time is of the essence. It is long past time that we take action to ensure that we have a sustainable future for college sports, especially for women's sports and Olympic sports, that creates predictability and certainty for all student-athletes. We must act now to protect and preserve the uniquely American institution of college sports we have all come to know and love.”
Representative Debbie Dingell (D-MI-06):
“We need a national framework, one with clarity and real enforcement to bring fairness, transparency, and equity to the new NIL era. We've already seen states competing with one another to get a leg up, and that patchwork is threatening the values and the balance that makes college sports so special.”
Value of College Athletics
Representative Russell Fry (R-SC-07):
“College sports are deeply embedded in our culture. They're a cherished part of our national identity, bringing communities together, creating lifelong memories for millions of fans, and providing incredible opportunities for student athletes across the country.”