Minor league baseball players: contract restrictions.

Existing law creates the Division of Labor Standards Enforcement, which is headed by the Labor Commissioner, and vests it with various powers for the purpose of enforcing orders of the Industrial Welfare Commission and labor laws. Existing law prescribes requirements and establishes prohibitions that are applicable to contracts and applications for employment. Existing law makes certain violations of employment laws crimes. This bill would enact the Minor League Baseball Players' Bill of Rights. The bill would define a minor league baseball player as a person who is employed to play baseball for a minor league team that is affiliated with a major league baseball team and who plays, resides, or is employed in the state. The bill would prohibit an employment contract with a minor league baseball player to play baseball that is first entered into on and after January 1, 2023, from having a term in excess of 4 years. The bill would require, for these employment contracts, that they may not prohibit the player from using the player's own name, image, or likeness as the player sees fit, or from receiving compensation for that use, and any such provision would be void and unenforceable. Among other things, the bill also would prohibit a player's exercise of the right to use the player's own name, image, or likeness from affecting the player's league eligibility and would prohibit retaliation in any form against a player as a consequence of the exercise of this right. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.