New bill to end agents' 'secret gifts'

In a move to end the "secret gifts, unrealistic promises and other misleading tactics" used by athlete agents, the state Senate passed a bill Tuesday authored by Vi Simpson, D- Ellettsville.\nSimpson said she believes these are the problems that face student athletes, their agents and universities today.\n"This bill provides benefits and protections for agents, athletes and schools alike," Simpson said.\nFor many of IU's student athletes seeking professional sports careers, Simpson said the bill could make a large difference in how they deal with their agents.\n"This bill is good for student athletes if they're moving into the professional athletic circuit. Often it's their first experience with agents, and if they don't have a lawyer right there it may be hard not to be taken advantage of," said Sara Bradbury, Democratic Caucus aide.\nThe bill, which would take effect July 1 if passed, gives universities protection from student athletes or athletic agents who perform illegal acts or enter into illegal contracts. It provides protection for student athletes, permitting them to cancel an agent's contract up to 14 days after signing it. It also outlines civil and criminal penalties for those not complying with the regulations.\nThere is no schedule for when the bill will be brought before the House for voting. Rep. Mark Kruzan, D-Bloomington, has already put his support behind the bill. \nBradbury said she believes the bill has a good chance of passing in the House but passing unanimously in the Senate is not an automatic green light in the House. \nThe NCAA and the National Conference of the Commissioners of Uniform State Laws have put their support behind the bill from its conception.\n"The bill is to protect student athletes with college and scholarship eligibility, as well as universities," said Michael Kerr, interim chief administrative officer of the conference. "There have been a number of instances where a student or athlete has violated NCAA rules and caused the schools to be penalized -- such as losing TV revenue or postseason play."\nThe conference, which has been working on drafting the bill for a number of years, has presented the bill in a uniform act to all 50 states.\nKatie Robinson, the communications officer for the conference, said 15 states have introduced the legislation. A conference member, Simpson has introduced uniform act legislation before, Robinson said.\nThe bill not only provides protection for athletes and universities, it also simplifies the process of being an athlete agent, Robinson said.\nAthlete agents now face more than 28 different state laws and registration fees ranging up to $1,500, said Daniel Nestel, the senior assistant director of federal relations for the NCAA. Nestel said he hopes that would change if more states pass the legislation.\n"The hope is that this will be a minimum two-year effort, and then we'll have something uniform in every state," he said. "When an agent goes out, there won't be any ambiguity or confusion over to what state laws require in terms of agent conduct."\nIf a student enters into a contract with an agent without notifying his or her university, the student stands a chance to lose their eligibility to play at the college level. The new legislation requires that the agent notify the school the student has signed an agency contract with, Kerr said.