AB 252: The College Athlete Protection Act.

The Student Athlete Bill of Rights requires intercollegiate athletic programs at certain 4-year private universities or campuses of the University of California or the California State University that receive, as an average, $10,000,000 or more in annual income derived from media rights for intercollegiate athletics to comply with prescribed requirements relating to student athlete rights. Existing law authorizes an institution of higher education, as defined, to establish a degree completion fund, in accordance with applicable rules and bylaws. Existing law requires an institution of higher education to post in a conspicuous location in its athletic department that is frequented by student athletes a notice detailing certain student athlete rights. Existing law prohibits an institution of higher education from intentionally retaliating against a student athlete for making or filing a complaint about, testifying or otherwise assisting in any investigation into, or opposing any practice that the student athlete believes is, a violation of student athlete rights.

This bill would establish the College Athlete Protection (CAP) Act for purposes of providing various rights, benefits, and protections to college athletes. The bill instead would require certain institutions of higher education to establish a degree completion fund for its college athletes, as provided. The bill instead would require an institution of higher education to distribute to each college athlete a notice containing college athlete rights and would require the institution to post this notice in a conspicuous location frequented by college athletes, as specified. The bill instead would prohibit an institution of higher education, and its employees, coaches, and affiliated medical personnel, as defined, from retaliating against a college athlete for filing a complaint or reporting a violation of a college athletes rights under the CAP Act. By imposing new duties on community college districts, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program.

This bill would establish the College Athlete Protection (CAP) Program as a program in the Office of Planning and Research for purposes of the CAP Act. The bill would establish a 21-member 13-member CAP Panel comprised composed of appointed individuals to serve on 4 CAP Subpanels, as specified, for the administration of administer the CAP Act, as provided. The bill would require certain institutions of higher education to be financially responsible for the out-of-pocket sports-related medical expenses of college athletes. The bill would require an institution of higher education to complete an evaluation regarding its compliance with Title IX, as specified, and to publish the evaluation on a publicly accessible internet website of the institution. The bill would require an institution of higher education to administer a financial and life skills development workshop program, and would require the institutions college athletes to attend the financial and life skills development workshop program, as provided. The bill would require an institution of higher education to pay an annual fee, as specified, to cover the reasonable regulatory costs of the CAP Program. The bill would establish the California Athlete Protection Fund under the administration of the CAP Panel, Program director, with moneys in the fund appropriated to the CAP Panel, upon appropriation of the Legislature, for purposes of the CAP Act, as provided.

This bill would make its provisions severable.

The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.

This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.