A. Except as provided for in subsection C of this section, no person shall give, offer, promise or attempt to give any money or other thing of value to a student-athlete or member of the immediate family of a student-athlete:

1. To induce, encourage or reward the application, enrollment or attendance of the student-athlete at a public or private institution of postsecondary education in order to have the student-athlete participate in intercollegiate sporting events, contests, exhibitions or programs at that institution; or

2. To induce, encourage or reward the participation in an intercollegiate sporting event, contest, exhibition or program by the student-athlete.

B. No person shall enter into or solicit directly or through an agent a transaction with a student-athlete if the person has, or could be reasonably expected to have, knowledge that the transaction would likely cause the student-athlete to permanently or temporarily lose athletic scholarship eligibility, the ability to participate on an intercollegiate athletic team or the ability to participate in one or more intercollegiate sporting competitions as sanctioned by:

1. A national association for the promotion and regulation of intercollegiate athletics;

2. An athletic conference or other sanctioning body; or

3. The institution of postsecondary education itself as a reasonable self-imposed disciplinary action taken by the institution to mitigate sanctions likely to be imposed by an organization as a result of the transaction or as a violation of the rules of the institution.

C. This section shall not apply to:

1. Any public or private institution of postsecondary education or to any officer or employee of the institution when the institution or the officer or employee of the institution is acting in accordance with an official written policy of the institution which is in compliance with the bylaws of the National Collegiate Athletic Association;

2. Any intercollegiate athletic award approved or administered by the public or private institution of postsecondary education;

3. Grants-in-aid or other full or partial scholarships awarded to a student-athlete or administered by a public or private institution of postsecondary education;

4. Members of the immediate family of the student-athlete; and

5. Money or things of value given by a person to a student-athlete or the immediate family of a student-athlete that do not exceed One Hundred Dollars ($100.00) in value in the aggregate on an annual basis.

D. Any person who violates the provisions of this section shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, shall be subject to a fine of not less than One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00) and not more than Five Thousand Dollars ($5,000.00), or by imprisonment not to exceed one (1) year, or by both such fine and imprisonment.

Added by Laws 2016, c. 13, § 2, eff. Nov. 1, 2016. Amended by Laws 2017, c. 137, § 1, eff. July 1, 2017.