U.S. Rep. Shomari Figures, D-Mobile, co-sponsored a bipartisan bill introduced Thursday aimed at creating a national framework for college athletes as they benefit from their name, image and likeness (NIL).

Dubbed the Student Compensation and Opportunity through Rights (SCORE) Act, the bill ensures student athletes can profit from their name, image and likeness while granting them access to additional resources.

“The current college sports environment has drastically changed in the NIL era, and this bill provides a framework to where students can not only be compensated but also have access to resources like health care and financial literacy courses, to ensure they have a solid foundation for their lives after college and we can get back to just playing ball,” Figures said.

“I look forward to continuing the bipartisan work to make this the strongest bill possible and protect student-athletes, schools, and our athletic conferences.”

Aside from Figures other sponsors of the bill include Reps. Janelle Bynum, D-OR, Gus Bilirakis, R-FL, Lisa McClain, R-MI, Russell Fry, R-SC, and Scott Fitzgerald, R-WI.

If signed into law the legislation would federally recognize and protect NIL deals while superseding state laws.

Under the bill, interstate intercollegiate athletic associations like the NCAA are authorized to set and enforce a number of rules including a requirement for student-athletes to disclose their NIL deals.

The legislation also states that student athletes are allowed to hire agents and are not deemed employees of an, “institution, conference or an interstate collegiate athletic association.”

Commissioner of the Southeastern Conference (SEC) Greg Sankey released a statement in support of the bill and Figures’s involvement.

“I welcome the commitment of Representative Shomari Figures to support a sustainable future for college athletics,” Sankey said.

“During this time of historic change, his efforts to provide clarity and stability to student-athletes, universities and the broader collegiate sports landscape are meaningful. We will continue building upon this momentum to deliver a national solution that athletes, coaches, and universities both need and deserve.”

Greg Byrne, the University of Alabama’s Athletic Director, also released a statement in support of the bill.

“We sincerely thank Congressman Figures for leading a bipartisan solution for intercollegiate athletics that recognizes the importance of creating a long-term sustainable model that provides the best opportunity to preserve broad athletic opportunities for student-athletes for generations to come,” Byrne said.