TO AMEND THE ARKANSAS STUDENT-ATHLETE PUBLICITY RIGHTS ACT; AND TO AMEND THE LAW RELATED TO ATHLETIC PROGRAM FUNDING.

Fiscal Impact Statement Bill: HB1917 Bill Subtitle: TO AMEND THE ARKANSAS STUDENT-ATHLETE PUBLICITY RIGHTS ACT; AND TO AMEND THE LAW RELATED TO ATHLETIC PROGRAM FUNDING. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sponsors: Rep. M. Shepherd and Evans Sen. Hester Basic Change: HB1917 amends the Arkansas Student-Athlete Publicity Rights Act, § 4-75-1301 et seq., which allows a student-athlete to enter into certain agreements to receive compensation for the commercial use of the student-athlete's publicity rights. HB1917 expands the Act to allow an institution of higher education, its supporting foundations, or its authorized entities to compensate a student-athlete for the commercial use of the student-athlete's publicity rights. HB1917 repeals the current provision that allows a charitable organization that qualifies as exempt under 26 U.S.C. § 501(c)(3) to compensate a student-athlete for commercial use of the student-athlete's publicity rights. HB1917 also creates an income tax exemption by providing that income received by a student-athlete from an institution of higher education as compen