{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.schmitt.senate.gov/media/press-releases/schmitt-celebrates-senate-passage-of-protect-college-sports-act/", "Schmitt Celebrates Senate Passage of Protect College Sports Act", "2026-09-28", "2026", "2026-09", "Republican", "Senate", "MO", "Eric Schmitt", "S001227", "www.schmitt.senate.gov", "schmitt", "https://www.schmitt.senate.gov/media/press-releases/", "scraper", "U.S. SENATE \u2014 Today, U.S. Senator Eric Schmitt (R-MO) praised passage of the bipartisan \u201cProtect College Sports Act\u201d in the U.S. Senate. Schmitt is a lead cosponsor of the bill and spoke on the Senate floor before the vote to underscore the instability threatening college sports in America and emphasize the need for Congress to act to provide clarity while protecting student-athletes and the future of college sports.\n\n\u201cCollege sports are a uniquely American institution defined by legendary rivalries and some of the most prolific moments in sports history. College sports have created countless opportunities for student athletes to learn and grow\u2014both on and off the field, they unite Americans from all corners of the country, and they\u2019re responsible for some of the greatest American traditions. Yet over the last few years, college sports have come to be defined by increasing financial and regulatory instability that have thrown the entire system into jeopardy.\n\n\u201cAs an original co-sponsor of this bill, I called on my colleagues to do something the Senate rarely does: meet the moment. By passing the \u2018Protect College Sports Act,\u2019 we\u2019re delivering much-needed stability to college sports, protecting the future of women\u2019s and Olympic sports, and ensuring fans can continue to enjoy one of America\u2019s favorite pastimes. The ball is now in the House\u2019s court. It\u2019s time we send this bill to the President\u2019s desk. Let\u2019s get this done,\u201d said Senator Schmitt.\n\nThe \u201cProtect College Sports Act\u201d:\n\nEstablishes new eligibility guardrails for athletes so professional athletes cannot return to play college sports;\n\nImplements a one-time transfer option; and\n\nAddresses critical revenue pitfalls in college sports programs, allowing schools to take advantage of new media pooling rights to generate billions in new funding for sports programs, particularly women\u2019s and Olympic sports.\n\nSchmitt, an original cosponsor of the \u201cProtect College Sports Act,\u201d drafted the legislation with Chairman Ted Cruz (R-TX), Ranking Member Maria Cantwell (D-WA), and Senator Chris Coons (D-DE).\n\n###", 1, "2026-09-29T11:07:12Z", "2026-09-29T11:08:49Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.schmitt.senate.gov/media/press-releases/schmitt-celebrates-senate-passage-of-protect-college-sports-act/"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.7178382948040962, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}