ATLANTA, Ga. (WSAV) – Georgia State Representative Billy Mitchell (D-Stone Mountain) announced Wednesday that he will introduce legislation to allow college athletes to be paid for the use of their name, likeness and image.
Mitchell said he plans to introduce the legislation, which will be modeled after California’s “Fair Pay to Play Act”, during the 2020 legislative session.
“With this legislation, Georgia hereby joins a rapidly growing number of states that have filed similar legislation, or are in the process of doing so, including Florida, New York, South Carolina and Minnesota,” Mitchell said. “Not only is this an idea whose time has come, but Georgia schools would be at a decisive disadvantage when it comes to recruiting with other states that join California in implementing this act, if we fail to do the same.”
In addition to allowing student athletes to be paid for their name, image or likeness, the proposed legislation would also allow athletes to hire agents. Agents would procure business and sponsorship opportunities for the athletes.
The legislation would be applied to both public and private institutions in the state of Georgia.