Virginia § 54.1-529 - Registration as athlete agent; application; requirements; reciprocal registration; penalty

§ 54.1-529. Registration as athlete agent; application; requirements; reciprocal registration; penalty

A. An applicant for registration as an athlete agent shall submit an application for registration to the Director in a form prescribed by the Director. The applicant shall be an individual, and the application shall be signed by the applicant under penalty of perjury and shall contain at least the following:

1. The name and date and place of birth of the applicant and the following contact information for the applicant: (i) the address of the applicant's principal place of business; (ii) work and mobile telephone numbers; and (iii) any means of communicating electronically, including a facsimile number, email address, and personal and business or employer websites;

2. The name of the applicant's business or employer, if applicable, including for each business or employer, its mailing address, telephone number, organization form, and the nature of the business;

3. Each social media account with which the applicant or the applicant's business or employer is affiliated;

4. Each business or occupation in which the applicant engaged within five years before the date of the application, including self-employment and employment by others, and any professional or occupational license, registration, or certification held by the applicant during that time;

5. A description of the applicant's (i) formal training as an athlete agent, (ii) practical experience as an athlete agent, and (iii) educational background relating to the applicant's activities as an athlete agent;

6. The name of each student-athlete for whom the applicant acted as an athlete agent within five years before the date of the application or, if the student-athlete is a minor, the name of the parent or guardian of the student-athlete, together with the student-athlete's sport and last known team;

7. The name and address of each person that (i) is a partner, member, officer, manager, associate, or profit sharer or directly or indirectly holds an equity interest of five percent or greater of the athlete agent's business if it is not a corporation and (ii) is an officer or director of a corporation employing the athlete agent or a shareholder having an interest of five percent or greater in the corporation;

8. A description of the status of any application by the applicant, or any person named under subdivision 7, for a state or federal business, professional, or occupational license, other than as an athlete agent, from a state or federal agency, including any denial, refusal to renew, suspension, withdrawal, or termination of the license and any reprimand or censure related to the license;

9. Whether the applicant, or any person named under subdivision 7, has pleaded guilty or no contest to, has been convicted of, or has charges pending for a crime that would involve moral turpitude or be a felony if committed in the Commonwealth and, if so, identification of (i) the crime, (ii) the law-enforcement agency involved, and (iii) if applicable, the date of the conviction and the fine or penalty imposed;

10. Whether, within 15 years before the date of application, the applicant, or any person named under subdivision 7, has been a defendant or respondent in a civil proceeding, including a proceeding seeking an adjudication of legal incompetence, and, if so, the date and a full explanation of each proceeding;

11. Whether the applicant, or any person named under subdivision 7, has an unsatisfied judgment or a judgment of continuing effect, including alimony or a domestic order in the nature of child support, which is not current at the date of the application;

12. Whether, within 10 years before the date of application, the applicant, or any person named under subdivision 7, was adjudicated bankrupt or was an owner of a business that was adjudicated bankrupt;

13. Whether there has been any administrative or judicial determination that the applicant, or any person named under subdivision 7, made a false, misleading, deceptive, or fraudulent representation;

14. Each instance in which conduct of the applicant, or any person named under subdivision 7, resulted in the imposition of a sanction, suspension, or declaration of ineligibility to participate in an interscholastic or intercollegiate athletic event of a student-athlete or a sanction on an educational institution;

15. Each sanction, suspension, or disciplinary action taken against the applicant, or any person named under subdivision 7, arising out of occupational or professional conduct;

16. Whether there has been a denial of an application for, suspension or revocation of, refusal to renew, or abandonment of, the registration of the applicant, or any person named under subdivision 7, as an athlete agent in any state;

17. Each state in which the applicant currently is registered as an athlete agent or has applied to be registered as an athlete agent;

18. If the applicant is certified or registered by a professional league or players association, (i) the name of the league or association; (ii) the date of certification or registration and the date of expiration of the certification or registration, if any; and (iii) if applicable, the date of any denial of an application for, suspension or revocation of, refusal to renew, withdrawal of, or termination of the certification or registration or any reprimand or censure related to the certification or registration;

19. Whether the applicant is seeking an annual or two-year license; and

20. Any additional information required by the Director.

B. Instead of proceeding under subsection A, an individual registered as an athlete agent in another state may apply for registration as an athlete agent in the Commonwealth by submitting to the Director (i) a copy of the application for registration in the other state; (ii) a statement that identifies any material change in the information on that application or verifies there is no material change in the information, signed under penalty of perjury; and (iii) a copy of the certificate of registration from the other state.

C. The Director shall issue a certificate of registration to an individual who applies for registration under subsection B if the Director determines that (i) the application and registration requirements of the other state are substantially similar to or more restrictive than the requirements in this chapter and (ii) the registration has not been revoked or suspended and no action involving the individual's conduct as an athlete agent is pending against the individual or the individual's registration in any state.

D. For purposes of implementing subsection C, the Director shall (i) cooperate with national organizations concerned with athlete agent issues and agencies in other states that register athlete agents to develop a common registration form and determine which states have laws that are substantially similar to or more restrictive than this chapter and (ii) exchange information, including information related to actions taken against registered athlete agents or their registrations, with those organizations and agencies.

2020, c. 481, § 54.1-522.