Louisiana Revised Statutes 4:424 – Prohibited activities; duties, obligations, and responsibilities
Terms Used In Louisiana Revised Statutes 4:424
- Agent contract: means any contract or agreement, whether written or oral, under which an athlete authorizes an athlete agent to negotiate or solicit on behalf of the athlete for the employment of the athlete by one or more professional sports teams. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 4:421
- Anything of value: means any thing of value. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 4:421
- Athlete: means a student who resides in this state, or a student who does not reside in this state but has informed in writing an institution of higher education in this state of the student's intent to participate in that school's intercollegiate sports contests, and who is characterized by either of the following:
(i) Is eligible to participate in junior high, high school, or intercollegiate sports contests as a member of a sports team of a junior high, high school, or institution of higher education which is located in this state and which is a member of a federation or association. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 4:421
- Athlete agent: means any person who recruits or solicits an athlete to enter into an agent contract or professional sport services contract with any person, or who offers anything of value to any person to induce an athlete to enter into an agreement by which any person will represent the athlete, or who for anything of value procures, offers, promises, or attempts to obtain employment for an athlete with a professional sports team. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 4:421
- Contact: means any communication by an athlete agent or by any intermediary with an athlete, or with any third person for the purpose of having that third person communicate with the athlete about the possibility of or formation of any business, financial, or other contractual relationship or agreement, including an agent contract, a professional services contract, or a professional sports services contract. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 4:421
- Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
- Division: means the public protection division of the Department of Justice. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 4:421
- Federation or association: means any state or national association for the promotion and regulation of interscholastic or intercollegiate sports governing athletes and their relationships with athlete agents. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 4:421
- Institution: means any institution of higher education in this state having an athlete contract with an athlete. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 4:421
- Person: means an individual, company, corporation, association, partnership, or other legal entity. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 4:421
- School: means any secondary school in this state, including high schools and junior high schools, that has an athlete contract with an athlete. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 4:421
- third person: means any persons other than the athlete agent or the athlete. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 4:421
A. An athlete agent shall not:
(1) Sell, transfer, or give away any interest in or the right to participate in the profits of the athlete agent without the prior written disclosure to the division and the written consent of the athlete.
(2) Publish or cause to be published any false, fraudulent, or misleading information, representation, notice, or advertisement.
(3) Advertise by means of cards, circulars, or signs, or in newspapers and other publications, or use letterheads, receipts, or blanks unless the advertisement, letterhead, receipt, or blank is printed and contains the registered name and address of the athlete agent.
(4) Intentionally give any false information or intentionally make any false promises or representations to any athlete or the athlete’s parents, legal guardians, or other advisors or fail to disclose that he is employed by, or acting on behalf of, someone else.
(5) Divide fees with or receive compensation from a professional sports league or franchise, or its representative or employee.
(6) Enter into any agreement, written or oral, with or offer anything of value to any employee of an institution of higher education or school located in this state in return for that employee’s inducement of any athlete to enter into an agreement for representation of the athlete.
(7) Offer anything of value to the athlete or any other person to induce an athlete to enter into an agreement, written or oral, for representation of the athlete.
(8) Postdate agent contracts.
(9) Contact an athlete in a manner so as to violate the rules of the federation or association of which that school or institution where the athlete is participating in sports contests is a member, to discuss the athlete agent’s representation of the athlete in the marketing of the athlete’s athletic ability or reputation.
B. Only an athlete agent shall be allowed to contact an athlete. The use, encouragement, or solicitation of any intermediaries or third persons to contact an athlete by an athlete agent is prohibited.
C. An athlete agent owes all of the following duties to an athlete:
(1) A duty to disclose to the athlete any risk of loss of eligibility.
(2) A duty to explain to the athlete all foreseeable consequences of any athlete agent contacts.
(3) A duty to refrain from any contacts with an athlete until having complied with notification requirements to the institutions or schools as required by Subsection D of this Section.
(4) A duty to deal directly and without the use of intermediaries or any third person with any athlete.
(5) A duty to not provide an athlete with anything of value prior to the execution of an agent contract.
(6) A duty to refrain from any conduct which would cause the athlete to violate any rule of the federation or association of which the institution or school where the athlete is participating in sports contests is a member.
D. An athlete agent owes all of the following duties to an institution or school:
(1) A duty to comply with notification requirements to the athletic director of the institution or school the athlete attends and to the head coach of the sport in which the athlete competes.
(2) A duty to refrain from any conduct which would cause the institution or school to violate the rules of the federation or association of which the institution or school where the athlete is participating in sports contests is a member.
(3) A duty to notify the athletic director of the institution or school that the athlete attends and the head coach of the sport in which the athlete competes seven days in advance of any contact with an athlete of an intent by the agent to contact the athlete.
(4) A duty to notify the athletic director of the institution or school that the athlete attends and the head coach of the sport in which the athlete competes by way of written notice of the execution of an agency contract which must be given before any subsequent participation by the student athlete in interscholastic or intercollegiate athletics and not later than seventy-two hours after execution of an agent contract.
E. Until such time as the athlete agent complies with the notification provided in Subsection D of this Section, this Chapter shall prohibit or limit an athlete agent from sending to an athlete any written materials relating to the professional credentials of the agent or to specific services offered by the agent relating to the representation of an athlete in the marketing of an athlete’s athletic ability or reputation. Similarly, until such time as the athlete agent complies with the notification provided in Subsection D of this Section, this Chapter shall prohibit an athlete agent from any contact with the athlete or any third person, regardless of who attempts to initiate such contact.
Acts 1987, No. 925, §1; Acts 1990, No. 882, §1; Acts 1993, No. 702, §1; Acts 1999, No. 302, §1; Acts 2001, No. 1094, §1; Acts 2004, No. 351, §1.