POLISCOPE
Back to bills
Part ofColleges →

The civic record

Read. Follow. Verify.
SB 271MONTANASession 2025State BillSigned into law
Enacted

Montana allows colleges and athletic associations to compensate student-athletes for name, image, and likeness

Original title: Remove prohibition on certain compensation for collegiate student-athlete's name/image/likeness

Last action · May 8, 2025: Chapter Number AssignedSponsor: Ellie Boldman

Bill progressHistory & official text ↓
Introduced
Committee
Floor Vote
Passed
Law

Track this bill to get notified when it advances a stage. One tap to stop, anytime.

Public stanceCommunity reactions are separate from the official record and reporting.

What This Bill Does

Montana law now permits s, athletic associations, conferences, and organizations to provide compensation to prospective and current student-athletes for the use of their . The measure takes effect immediately upon passage and approval.

Why it matters

Colleges and athletic governing bodies in Montana gain the legal option to directly pay student-athletes for promotional rights, altering the financial framework of intercollegiate sports in the state.

Background
  • State laws regarding student-athlete name, image, and likeness (NIL) rights have evolved significantly following national collegiate athletic association policy shifts and judicial rulings. context

Who It Affects

Groups the bill's text affects, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.

Directly affected

Student-athletes

Student-athletes become eligible to receive name, image, and likeness compensation from postsecondary institutions and athletic associations, subject to disclosure rules and team regulations.

Directly affected

Postsecondary institutions

Colleges and universities are permitted to provide name, image, and likeness compensation, include likeness terms in scholarship agreements, manage athlete contracts as agents, or restrict likeness use on campus property.

Directly affected

Athletic associations, conferences, and organizations

Intercollegiate sports governing bodies are no longer legally barred from providing compensation to student-athletes for their name, image, or likeness.

Key Facts

You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can Montana colleges now pay student-athletes for using their name, image, or likeness?
Yes. SB 271 removes the previous legal prohibition, allowing s and athletic associations to provide compensation to prospective and current student-athletes for their .
Do student-athletes have to report outside endorsement or likeness contracts?
Yes. A student-athlete who enters into a compensation contract for their must disclose the contract to an official of the if they are currently on the team or when seeking to join.
When does this law go into effect?
The act takes effect immediately upon passage and approval.

What else do you want to know?

News Coverage

No news coverage found yet. Articles are indexed twice daily.

Follow the record

Votes, people, money & the original source

Where This Stands

Current status: Signed into law.

Procedural history

35 actions
  1. May 8, 2025Senate
    Chapter Number Assigned
  2. May 5, 2025SenateEnrolled
    (S) Signed by Governor
  3. Apr 25, 2025Senate
    (S) Transmitted to Governor
  4. Apr 25, 2025House
    (H) Signed by Speaker
  5. Apr 21, 2025Senate
    (S) Signed by President
  6. Apr 12, 2025Senate
    (S) Returned from Enrolling
Show 29 earlier actions
  1. Apr 11, 2025Senate
    (S) Sent to Enrolling
  2. Apr 11, 2025House
    (H) 3rd Reading
  3. Apr 11, 2025House
    (H) Scheduled for 3rd Reading
  4. Apr 10, 2025House
    (H) 2nd Reading
  5. Apr 10, 2025House
    (H) Scheduled for 2nd Reading
  6. Apr 8, 2025HouseCommittee
    (H) Committee Report
  7. Apr 7, 2025HouseCommittee
    (H) Committee Executive Action
  8. Apr 6, 2025House
    (H) Hearing
  9. Feb 20, 2025House
    (H) 1st Reading
  10. Feb 20, 2025HouseCommittee
    (H) Referred to Committee
  11. Feb 19, 2025Senate
    (S) Transmitted to House
  12. Feb 19, 2025Senate
    (S) 3rd Reading
  13. Feb 19, 2025Senate
    (S) Scheduled for 3rd Reading
  14. Feb 18, 2025Senate
    (S) 2nd Reading
  15. Feb 18, 2025Senate
    (S) Scheduled for 2nd Reading
  16. Feb 14, 2025SenateCommittee
    (S) Committee Report
  17. Feb 13, 2025SenateCommittee
    (S) Committee Executive Action
  18. Feb 7, 2025Senate
    (S) Hearing
  19. Feb 6, 2025SenateCommittee
    (S) Referred to Committee
  20. Feb 6, 2025Senate
    (S) 1st Reading
  21. Feb 5, 2025SenateIntroduced
    (S) Introduced
  22. Feb 4, 2025House
    (LC) Draft Delivered to Requester
  23. Jan 25, 2025House
    (LC) Draft Ready for Delivery
  24. Jan 22, 2025House
    (LC) Draft in Assembly
  25. Jan 21, 2025House
    (LC) Draft in Final Drafter Review
  26. Jan 21, 2025House
    (LC) Draft in Input/Proofing
  27. Jan 21, 2025House
    (LC) Draft in Edit
  28. Jan 21, 2025House
    (LC) Draft in Legal Review
  29. Nov 22, 2024House
    (LC) Drafter Assigned

Version history

Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.

View official text →

Lobbying Activity

No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.

Full breakdown

Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.

Sponsors

Ellie BoldmanSenate · District 47DemocraticPrimary sponsor

Discoveries

1 pattern noticed across the record

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.

policy shift99% confidence

Elimination of NIL Compensation Barriers

The legislation amends Section 20-1-232, MCA, to lift statutory restrictions that previously barred postsecondary institutions and athletic associations from compensating student-athletes for name, image, and likeness rights.

Connected Entities

S. Morigeau, D. Loge, P. Flowers and 17 more
PersonS. Morigeau“Legislative sponsor listed on SB 271”Map →
PersonD. Loge“Legislative sponsor listed on SB 271”Map →
PersonP. Flowers“Legislative sponsor listed on SB 271”Map →
PersonM. Regier“Legislative sponsor listed on SB 271”Map →
PersonS. Fitzpatrick“Legislative sponsor listed on SB 271”Map →
PersonP. Tuss“Legislative sponsor listed on SB 271”Map →
PersonR. Miner“Legislative sponsor listed on SB 271”Map →
PersonD. Harvey“Legislative sponsor listed on SB 271”Map →
PersonJ. Darling“Legislative sponsor listed on SB 271”Map →
PersonG. Hertz“Legislative sponsor listed on SB 271”Map →
PersonE. Matthews“Legislative sponsor listed on SB 271”Map →
PersonB. Mercer“Legislative sponsor listed on SB 271”Map →
PersonK. Walsh“Legislative sponsor listed on SB 271”Map →
PersonA. Regier“Legislative sponsor listed on SB 271”Map →
PersonC. Neumann“Legislative sponsor listed on SB 271”Map →
PersonEllie Boldman“Primary sponsor of SB 271 in the Montana Senate”Map →
PersonB. Mitchell“Legislative sponsor listed on SB 271”Map →
PersonS. Rosenzweig“Legislative sponsor listed on SB 271”Map →
PersonS. Novak“Legislative sponsor listed on SB 271”Map →
PersonW. Galt“Legislative sponsor listed on SB 271”Map →

Sources

Open source document

bills.legmt.gov

Analysis Score

0–100
  • Significance75
    How much this matters to a regular citizen
  • Controversy40
    Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
  • Entertainment10
    Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
  • Buzz45
    Current news / social attention level

Publisher tools

Share or embed this record

POLISCOPE publisher tools

Share or embed this record