A bill signed by the governor today will clarify state ethics law for university employees engaging student athletes in activities regarding the student’s name, image, and likeness (NIL).
Senate Bill 5913 received bipartisan support from lawmakers in the Senate and House during the 2024 legislative session that adjourned last week. Sponsored by Sen. Javier Valdez, the bill responds to guidelines adopted by the NCAA in 2021 that permit student athletes to engage in activities involving NIL. Since then, several states have adopted a patchwork of policies related to NIL.
The Ethics in Public Service Act governs public employee activity and is ambiguous about NIL activities. The bill amends the Act to clarify that certain public university employees in Washington are not prohibited from using public resources in advising, facilitation, acknowledgement or education pertaining to NIL and student athletes seeking to benefit from it, so long as those resources are within the discretion of the employee.
With the governor’s signature, the bill takes effect on June 5th, 2024. You can see the bill signing below: