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New York state senator proposes bill forcing colleges to pay student-athletes

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Sen. Kevin Parker introduced a bill to the New York State Senate on Monday that would require colleges in the state to pay a share of athletic department revenue to student-athletes and permit them to profit from the use of their image.

The bill also contains other provisions that could drastically change the current NCAA model: Students would be allowed to seek professional representation and schools would be required to create an "injured athlete fund" that, upon graduation, would provide compensation to those who suffer long-term or career-ending injuries.

The first version of the bill only stipulated that students be allowed to profit from the use of their likeness, similar to the recently passed Fair Pay to Play Act in California. Parker told ESPN's Kevin Murphy that he later amended it to include the revenue requirement, in which schools would set aside 15% of revenue from ticket sales to athletic events and divide it among student-athletes.

"It's about equity," Parker told Murphy. "These young people are adding their skill, talent, and labor to these universities. ... You don't need the shortcuts and the end-arounds because now we're providing some real support for these student-athletes."

California's SB-206 bill passed unanimously earlier in September and would allow student-athletes in the state to be able to profit from their name, image, and likeness. That legislation, however, would not require colleges to pay athletes directly.

After the California Senate voted in favor of the bill, the NCAA quickly appealed directly to Gov. Gavin Newsom not to sign it into law, arguing that it would "upend (the) level playing field for all student-athletes."

Newsom is expected to make a final decision on the bill sometime within the next month.

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