The College Athlete Protection Act.

Existing law provides for a system of postsecondary education in this state. This system includes the University of California, administered by the Regents of the University of California, the California State University, administered by the Trustees of the California State University, the California Community Colleges, administered by the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges, and independent institutions of higher education. Existing law further provides a Student Athlete Bill of Rights. This bill would establish the College Athlete Protection Program, until January 1, 2023, under the administration of a panel, which would be established by the bill, for the protection of college or university athletes participating in intercollegiate athletic programs offered by institutions of higher education located in California. The bill would require the State Department of Education to hire and set compensation for a director of the College Athlete Protection Program and hire additional staff to assist in the implementation of the program. The act would charge the panel with specified duties related to the protection of these athletes and would subject institutions of higher education and their personnel who commit violations of the act to penalties, which may include civil penalties or a temporary or permanent prohibition from employment at institutions of higher education, pursuant to regulations to be adopted by the panel. The bill would make the provisions of the College Athlete Protection Act severable. This bill would require institutions of higher education located in California with an intercollegiate athletic program affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association in 2016 to annually pay regulatory fees, as determined by the panel pursuant to prescribed requirements, to be deposited in the College Athlete Protection Act Fund, which this bill would establish, to be appropriated by the Legislature to the panel for the purposes of the College Athlete Protection Program.