A bill that would allow high school athletes who have been accepted to a college or signed a national letter of intent to profit off their name, image and likeness passed the state House of Representatives on Thursday.
The House approved the bill in a 92-1 vote, sending it to the Senate for further consideration.
House Bill 1649, sponsored by House Speaker Matthew Shepherd, R-El Dorado, is one of several to take aim at debates around high school athletes' ability to profit from their name, image and likeness. The NCAA had barred student-athletes from signing paid sponsorship deals but reversed course in June 2021.
Shepherd said the bill would help Arkansas with college recruiting. The Arkansas Activities Association currently bars high school athletes from entering into paid sponsorship deals.
"It's really, in large part, to keep Arkansas and our institutions competitive," Shepherd said.