Of Signatures and Branding

The New York State Senate passed Auto Insurance Consumer Relief Act, a bill to make CARCO inspections optional at the discretion of insurance carriers.

Communications from agents,  meetings with lawmakers and a spate of calls and e-mails and petitions did it. Employer associations across NY helped the Big I and the PIA and the other organizations participating.

Whereas many consumers were required to get a photo inspection of their vehicle within 14 days of purchase, the new bill would allow insurance companies to choose if or when photo inspections need to be performed.

College degree in Branding…Thanks to newly passed legislation, collegiate athletes in New York State will now be able to earn compensation from the use of their name, image, and likeness (NIL) without jeopardizing their own academic and athletic eligibility, an effort that has been years in the making and rights a wrong that, until now, had put opportunity out of range for some of our most promising young athletes. Collegiate players, many who come from traditionally marginalized communities, will now have the opportunity to afford basic quality of life expenses outside of tuition, and room and board thanks to a long-fought-for bill that just passed in the final hours of the legislative session. In New York State, collegiate programs have historically reaped the benefits of their student athletes’ star power without passing on that financial gain to the athletes themselves. For many from low-income families, athletics has been a path to access higher education. Now, in New York, student-athletes can further use their athletic skill as a tool to further their family’s upward mobility, whether they make it to the professional level or not. Last June, the NCAA announced an interim policy allowing college athletes to benefit from their name, image and likeness. The policy provided guidance to college athletes, recruits, their families and member schools including allowing individuals to engage in NIL activities consistent with the law of the state where the school is located and the use of a professional services provider for NIL activities. New York now joins other states in creating opportunities for collegiate athletes to thrive. The bill requires DI colleges to create student-athlete support program such as a savings plan and health savings plan for in the case of injury, and allows collegiate athletes to regain control of their own NIL including, but not limited to, obtaining professional representation, entering into contracts, and being appropriately compensated while still enrolled at their college or university. The bill also states that an awarded scholarship shall not be revoked due to earning compensation as a result of the use of the student-athlete’s name, image, or likeness, or due to obtaining legal or athletic agent representation in relation to name, image, or likeness matters. The NCAA further sought to clarify rules around the role of boosters in May 2022, reported by ESPN, “publishing new guidelines that clarified that boosters – including recently created companies designed to provide athletes at a particular school with endorsement deals – should not have any contact with prospective college athletes, their family members or their representatives.” This clarification was driven from growing concerns that some boosters and NIL-focused companies were offering money as incentives to attend a particular school. This bill also prohibits compensation for prospective student-athletes. This opens up new vistas in the definition of professional. We are pondering its implications, as you should. SA