College Athlete Right to Organize Act

This bill would let college athletes form unions and negotiate as a group with their schools and athletic conferences about pay, health and safety, schedules, and other conditions. It updates federal labor law so these rights apply at both private and public colleges, and it allows athletes to organize across schools within a league or conference. Schools or the NCAA could not force athletes to sign away these rights in scholarships or other agreements.

It also says nothing in the bill changes how scholarships or other direct payments are treated for taxes or federal financial aid. In short, it doesn’t turn scholarships into taxable wages or affect eligibility for aid like Pell Grants.

Key points

• Who is affected: College athletes at both public and private colleges, plus their schools and athletic conferences.
• What changes: Athletes can unionize and negotiate across schools; schools/NCAA can’t require waivers of these rights.
• Taxes and aid: No new taxes on scholarships or athlete pay and no changes to federal aid eligibility.