Virginia House considers bill to boost transparency for student-athlete NIL agreements

A proposal led by state Del. JJ Singh seeks to enhance accountability and transparency surrounding name, image and likeness (NIL) agreements for student-athletes attending Virginia’s public universities, as reported by the Virginia State House.

The legislation, filed as HB1099 on Jan. 14, 2026, for the regular legislative session, is formally titled: “Student-athlete name, image, and likeness deal transparency; best practices, report.”

This analysis summarizes the text of the bill and may clarify its intended role and impact.

The proposal calls for the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia to organize a working group tasked with assessing best practices for increasing transparency in NIL deals for student-athletes at public four-year universities statewide. The group must examine disclosure and oversight procedures, as well as recommend approaches to improve clarity and accessibility of information for athletes and college administrators. By Nov. 1, 2026, the council will submit the findings to the chairs of both the House Committee on Education and the Senate Committee on Education and Health.

Rep. JJ Singh (Democrat-26th District) is the sole sponsor of this bill.

Singh has introduced six additional bills since the start of the legislative session.

He graduated from the University of Virginia in 2002 with a bachelor’s degree and received an MBA from Harvard Business School in 2010.

Singh, a Democrat elected to the Virginia State House in 2025, represents the 26th House district, having succeeded Kannan Srinivasan.

In Virginia, the legislative process begins with the introduction of a bill to either the House of Delegates or the Senate. Committees discuss and potentially revise each bill before moving it to the chamber floor for debate and vote. Once passed by both the House and Senate, the measure is presented to the governor for possible approval, veto, or passage without a signature. Annual regular sessions of the Virginia General Assembly commence on the second Monday in January, during which lawmakers introduce hundreds of bills, though only a fraction are enacted.