H.R. 3344 · 112th Congress
Give Fans a Chance Act of 2011
Key: what the circles and colors mean
Each circle is a bill. The ring fills as it moves through Congress:
Under the number: the Yea · Nay count of its final (or latest) recorded vote. On a member's page, the small badge is how that member voted: Y Yea / Aye, N Nay / No, P Present, – Not voting.
Gold and violet are only for Yea and Nay; they never mean a party. A member's party is the letter on their photo.
Never voted on. It didn't reach a floor vote before the 112th Congress ended, so it expired. A bill has to be introduced again to be considered in a new Congress.
1 cosponsor · 1 D
1 signed on when it was introduced; the rest joined later. Cosponsors who withdrew aren't shown.
Give Fans a Chance Act of 2011 - Provides that the existing antitrust exemption for agreements covering the telecasting of sports contests and the combining of professional football leagues shall not apply to a professional sport league for any period during which any member club is: (1) subject to a league requirement, or to an agreement made by two or…
What it does: CRS summary · Introduced in House · Nov 3, 2011
Give Fans a Chance Act of 2011 - Provides that the existing antitrust exemption for agreements covering the telecasting of sports contests and the combining of professional football leagues shall not apply to a professional sport league for any period during which any member club is: (1) subject to a league requirement, or to an agreement made by two or more member clubs, that forbids any club from transferring an ownership interest to any governmental entity or to members of the general public; or (2) not in compliance with the following provisions of this Act.
Requires a member club that proposes to relocate out of a community in the home territory of that club, or a league that proposes to relocate or eliminate a member club, to furnish notice to all interested parties not later than 180 days before the commencement of the season in which the club is to play home games in the proposed new location.
Authorizes a local government, stadium, arena authority, person, or any combination thereof, during such notice period, to present a proposal to purchase the club to retain it in the home community. Requires the club and the league, during such period, to give such entities the opportunity to present a proposal to induce the club to remain in its home community. Requires the club owner to reply in writing to any such proposal and to specify the reasons for refusal of any bona fide offer.
Requires the league, before the expiration of such notice period, to make a determination regarding the relocation or elimination of the club, after considering specified criteria, including: (1) the extent to which fan loyalty to and support for the club has been demonstrated; (2) the degree to which club ownership or management has contributed to any circumstances that might demonstrate the need for the relocation or elimination; (3) whether the stadium authority, if public, is opposed to the proposed relocation or elimination; and (4) whether there is a bona fide investor offering fair market value for the club and seeking to retain the club in that community.
Prohibits denying a club membership in a league on the basis that the club is owned by several persons or entities or by one or more local governments.
Written by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service. All summary versions on Congress.gov
About this bill and sources
Official title: Give Fans a Chance Act of 2011
Latest action (Nov 21, 2011): Referred to the Subcommittee on Intellectual Property, Competition and the Internet.
Policy area: Commerce · Origin: House · Introduced: Nov 3, 2011
Official page on Congress.gov · Bill text (GovInfo) · Status record (XML)
No recorded floor vote found.