PRINTER'S NO. 501
No. 450 Session of 1993
INTRODUCED BY COLAFELLA, DALEY, PESCI, GIGLIOTTI, ADOLPH, KASUNIC, BELFANTI, GERLACH, TOMLINSON, COLAIZZO AND JAMES, MARCH 15, 1993
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON STATE GOVERNMENT, MARCH 15, 1993
AN ACT 1 Amending Title 5 (Athletics and Sports) of the Pennsylvania 2 Consolidated Statutes, providing for the licensing of 3 athletic agents; and imposing a penalty. 4 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania 5 hereby enacts as follows: 6 Section 1. Title 5 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes 7 is amended by adding a part to read: 8 TITLE 5 9 ATHLETICS AND SPORTS 10 * * * 11 PART II 12 ATHLETIC AGENTS 13 Subpart 14 A. General Provisions 15 B. Licensing of Athletic Agents 16 SUBPART A 17 GENERAL PROVISIONS 18 Chapter
1 31. Preliminary Provisions 2 CHAPTER 31 3 PRELIMINARY PROVISIONS 4 Sec. 5 3101. Short title of part. 6 3102. Definitions. 7 § 3101. Short title of part. 8 This part shall be known and may be cited as the Athletic 9 Agent Licensing Act. 10 § 3102. Definitions. 11 Subject to additional definitions contained in subsequent 12 provisions of this part which are applicable to specific 13 provisions of this part, the following words and phrases when 14 used in this part shall have the meanings given to them in this 15 section unless the context clearly indicates otherwise: 16 "Agent contract." Any contract or agreement pursuant to 17 which a person authorizes or empowers an athletic agent to 18 negotiate or solicit on behalf of the person with one or more 19 professional sports teams for the employment of the person by a 20 professional sports team or to negotiate or solicit on behalf of 21 the person for the employment of the person as a professional 22 athlete. 23 "Athletic agent." A person who, directly or indirectly, 24 recruits or solicits a person to enter into an agent contract or 25 professional sport services contract or who procures, offers, 26 promises or attempts to obtain employment for a person with a 27 professional sports team or as a professional athlete. 28 "Commission." The State Athletic Commission. 29 "Conviction." A finding of guilt by a judge or jury, a plea 30 of guilty or a plea of nolo contendere. 19930H0450B0501 - 2 -
1 "Department." The Department of State of the Commonwealth. 2 "Institution of higher education." A public or private 3 college or university, including a community college. 4 "Person." An individual, sole proprietorship, partnership, 5 association, corporation or other legal entity. 6 "Professional sport services contract." A contract or 7 agreement pursuant to which a person is employed or agrees to 8 render services as a player on a professional sports team or as 9 a professional athlete. 10 SUBPART B 11 LICENSING OF ATHLETIC AGENTS 12 Chapter 13 33. Licensing. 14 Sec. 15 3301. Athletic agents' licenses. 16 3302. Application for license. 17 3303. Qualifications for license. 18 3304. Issuance of license to certain persons prohibited. 19 3305. Suspension and revocation of licenses. 20 3306. Bonding requirements. 21 3307. Penalty. 22 § 3301. Athletic agents' licenses. 23 No person shall directly or indirectly serve or offer to 24 serve as an athletic agent unless the person has first procured 25 an athletic agent's license from the commission. 26 § 3302. Application for license. 27 (a) Procedure.--Every application for an athletic agent's 28 license shall: 29 (1) Be in writing on a form supplied by the commission 30 and approved by the department. 19930H0450B0501 - 3 -
1 (2) Be verified by the applicant. 2 (3) Contain the information required by this chapter and 3 such other information as the commission may reasonably 4 require. 5 (4) Be submitted together with a processing fee of $50. 6 (b) Fees.-- 7 (1) The annual license fee which shall accompany the 8 application for an athletic agent's license shall be as 9 follows: 10 (i) Individual or sole proprietor - $100. 11 (ii) Partnership, association, corporation or other 12 legal entity - $200. 13 (2) The fee for each duplicate license shall be $20. 14 (c) Term.--Licenses shall be issued on an annual basis and 15 shall expire on December 31 of each year. 16 § 3303. Qualifications for license. 17 The commission shall not issue an athletic agent's license to 18 a person unless the following qualifications are met: 19 (1) The applicant is 21 years of age or older. 20 (2) The applicant possesses good moral character. 21 (3) The applicant, neither at the time of application 22 nor at any time prior to the time of application, has been 23 involved in any conduct that led to the imposition of 24 sanctions against an athlete, institution of higher education 25 or professional sports team by any association or 26 organization that establishes rules for the conduct of 27 amateur or professional sports. 28 § 3304. Issuance of license to certain persons prohibited. 29 The commission shall not issue an athletic agent's license to 30 or renew the athletic agent's license of a person who has been 19930H0450B0501 - 4 -
1 convicted of any of the following offenses within ten years of 2 the date of application: 3 (1) An offense under the following provisions of 18 4 Pa.C.S. (relating to crimes and offenses): 5 Section 902 (relating to criminal solicitation). 6 Section 908 (relating to prohibited offensive weapons). 7 Section 2502 (relating to murder). 8 Section 2901 (relating to kidnapping). 9 Section 3121 (relating to rape). 10 Section 3126 (relating to indecent assault). 11 Section 3923 (relating to theft by extortion). 12 Section 4109 (relating to rigging publicly exhibited 13 contest). 14 Section 4301 (relating to bigamy). 15 Section 4302 (relating to incest). 16 Section 4303 (relating to concealing death of child born 17 out of wedlock). 18 Section 4304 (relating to endangering welfare of 19 children). 20 Section 4305 (relating to dealing in infant children). 21 Section 4701 (relating to bribery in official and 22 political matters). 23 Section 4902 (relating to perjury). 24 Section 5501 (relating to riot). 25 Section 5502 (relating to failure of disorderly persons 26 to disperse upon official order). 27 Section 5503 (relating to disorderly conduct). 28 Section 5504 (relating to harassment by communication or 29 address). 30 Section 5505 (relating to public drunkenness). 19930H0450B0501 - 5 -
1 Section 5506 (relating to loitering and prowling at night 2 time). 3 Section 5507 (relating to obstructing highways and other 4 public passages). 5 Section 5508 (relating to disrupting meetings and 6 processions). 7 Section 5509 (relating to desecration of venerated 8 objects). 9 Section 5510 (relating to abuse of corpse). 10 Section 5511 (relating to cruelty to animals). 11 Section 5512 (relating to lotteries, etc.). 12 Section 5513 (relating to gambling devices, gambling, 13 etc.). 14 Section 5514 (relating to pool selling and bookmaking). 15 Section 5515 (relating to prohibiting of paramilitary 16 training). 17 Section 5901 (relating to open lewdness). 18 Section 5902 (relating to prostitution and related 19 offenses). 20 Section 5903 (relating to obscene and other sexual 21 materials). 22 Section 5904 (relating to public exhibition of insane 23 or deformed person). 24 Section 6301 (relating to corruption of minors). 25 Section 6302 (relating to sale or lease of weapons and 26 explosives). 27 Section 6303 (relating to sale of starter pistols). 28 Section 6304 (relating to sale and use of air rifles). 29 Section 6305 (relating to sale of tobacco). 30 Section 6306 (relating to furnishing cigarettes or 19930H0450B0501 - 6 -
1 cigarette papers). 2 Section 6307 (relating to misrepresentation of age 3 to secure liquor or malt or brewed beverages). 4 Section 6308 (relating to purchase, consumption, 5 possession or transportation of liquor or malt or 6 brewed beverages). 7 Section 6309 (relating to representing that minor 8 is of age). 9 Section 6310 (relating to inducement of minors to 10 buy liquor or malt or brewed beverages). 11 Section 6310.1 (relating to selling or furnishing 12 liquor or malt or brewed beverages to minors). 13 Section 6310.2 (relating to manufacture of sale of false 14 identification card). 15 Section 6310.3 (relating to carrying a false 16 identification card). 17 Section 6311 (relating to tattooing). 18 Section 6312 (relating to sexual abuse of children). 19 (2) An offense under the act of April 14, 1972 (P.L.233, 20 No.64), known as The Controlled Substance, Drug, Device and 21 Cosmetic Act. 22 § 3305. Suspension and revocation of licenses. 23 (a) Investigation.--The commission may review the operations 24 of all licensees and shall prepare a written report of all 25 complaints. The commission shall forward all complaints to the 26 Office of Attorney General for investigation. 27 (b) Cease and desist order.--Upon recommendation by the 28 executive director of the commission, the commission may issue 29 an immediate cease and desist order against a licensee who has 30 been found preliminarily by the commission to have committed a 19930H0450B0501 - 7 -
1 violation of 18 Pa.C.S. § 7107 (relating to unlawful actions by 2 athlete agents) or a violation of this chapter. Within 20 days 3 of issuance of the cease and desist order, the commission shall 4 conduct a hearing to determine whether the cease and desist 5 order should be dissolved or made permanent. 6 (c) Suspension.--Upon a finding by the commission that a 7 licensee has violated any provision of this chapter or upon 8 conviction of a licensee of a violation of 18 Pa.C.S. § 7107, 9 the commission may suspend the person's license for not more 10 than one year. 11 (d) Revocation.--Upon a finding by the commission that a 12 licensee has violated any provision of this chapter or upon 13 conviction of a licensee of a violation of 18 Pa.C.S. § 7107, 14 where the violation was committed or the conviction occurred 15 within 12 months of a previous violation or conviction, the 16 commission shall revoke the person's license. 17 (e) Conduct of hearings.--The commission shall conduct all 18 hearings in accordance with 2 Pa.C.S. Ch. 5 Subch. A (relating 19 to practice and procedure of Commonwealth agencies). 20 § 3306. Bonding requirements. 21 (a) Amount.--Before any athletic agent's license is issued, 22 the applicant shall be required to execute and file a surety 23 bond with the commission in such reasonable amount, but not less 24 than $10,000, as the commission shall require. 25 (b) Bond forms.--All bonds shall be upon forms supplied by 26 the commission and which have been approved by the department. 27 All bonds shall be accompanied by a $25 filing fee. 28 (c) Conditions of bonds.--The surety bond shall be 29 conditioned upon the following: 30 (1) Compliance with this chapter. 19930H0450B0501 - 8 -
1 (2) The payment of all sums due a person at the time the 2 sums are due and payable. 3 (3) The payment of all damages suffered by any person as 4 a result of intentional or unintentional misstatements, 5 misrepresentation, fraud, deceit or unlawful or negligent 6 acts of the athletic agent while acting as an athletic agent. 7 (d) Alternate security.-- 8 (1) In lieu of a surety bond, a licensee may deposit 9 with the commission cash, a certified check or a letter of 10 credit in an equivalent amount. The provisions of this 11 section regarding bonds shall apply to the alternate security 12 provided for in this subsection. 13 (2) The security shall not be returned to a licensee 14 until one year after the athletic agent's license has 15 expired. After this time, if there are no claims against the 16 license, the alternate security shall be returned to the 17 depositor. 18 (e) Recovery on bond.--Recovery may be had on a bond or 19 deposit of alternate security in the same manner as penalties 20 are recoverable at law. 21 § 3307. Penalty. 22 The commission may impose a civil penalty of not more than 23 $5,000 for each violation or conviction against any person who 24 violates this chapter or who is convicted of a violation of 18 25 Pa.C.S. § 7107 (relating to unlawful actions by athlete agents). 26 Section 2. This act shall take effect in 60 days. A11L05WMB/19930H0450B0501 - 9 -