[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 249 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







110th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 249

To permit the National Football League to restrict the movement of its 
                  franchises, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            January 10, 2007

Mrs. Feinstein introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
               referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To permit the National Football League to restrict the movement of its 
                  franchises, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Football Fairness Act of 2007''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    The Congress finds that--
            (1) National Football League teams foster a strong local 
        identity with the people of the cities and regions in which 
        they are located, providing a source of civic pride for their 
        supporters;
            (2) National Football League teams provide employment 
        opportunities, revenues, and a valuable form of entertainment 
        for the cities and regions in which they are located;
            (3) there are significant public investments associated 
        with National Football League facilities;
            (4) it is in the public interest to encourage the National 
        Football League to operate under policies that promote 
        stability among its member teams and to promote the equitable 
        resolution of disputes arising from the proposed relocation of 
        National Football League teams; and
            (5) National Football League teams travel in interstate to 
        compete and utilize materials shipped in interstate commerce, 
        and National Football League games are broadcast nationally.

SEC. 3. CLARIFICATION OF ANTITRUST LAWS RELATED TO RELOCATION.

    It shall not be unlawful by reason of any provision of the 
antitrust laws for the National Football League to enforce rules 
authorizing the membership of the league to decide that a member club 
of such league shall not be relocated.

SEC. 4. INAPPLICABILITY TO CERTAIN MATTERS.

    (a) In General.--Nothing contained in this Act shall--
            (1) alter, determine, or otherwise affect the applicability 
        or inapplicability of the antitrust laws, the labor laws, or 
        any other provision of law relating to the wages, hours, or 
        other terms and conditions of employment of players in the 
        National Football League, to any employment matter regarding 
        players in the National Football League, or to any collective 
        bargaining rights and privilege of any player union in the 
        National Football League;
            (2) alter or affect the applicability or inapplicability of 
        the antitrust laws or any applicable Federal or State law 
        relating to broadcasting or telecasting, including section 1 of 
        Public Law 87-331 (15 U.S.C. 1291), any agreement between the 
        National Football League or its member teams, and any person 
        not affiliated with the National Football League for the 
        broadcasting or telecasting of the games of the National 
        Football League or its member teams on any form of television;
            (3) affect any contract, or provision of a contract, 
        relating to the use of a stadium or arena between a member team 
        and the owner or operator of any stadium or arena or any other 
        person;
            (4) exempt from the antitrust laws any agreement to fix the 
        prices of admission to National Football League games;
            (5) exempt from the antitrust laws any predatory practice 
        or other conduct with respect to competing sports leagues that 
        would otherwise be unlawful under the antitrust laws; or
            (6) except as provided in this Act, alter, determine, or 
        otherwise affect the applicability or inapplicability of the 
        antitrust laws to any act, contract, agreement, rule, course of 
        conduct, or other activity by, between, or among persons 
        engaging in, conducting, or participating in professional 
        football.
    (b) Antitrust Laws.--As used in this section, the term ``antitrust 
laws'' has the meaning given to such term in the first section of the 
Clayton Act (15 U.S.C. 12) and in the Federal Trade Commission Act (15 
U.S.C. 41 et seq.).
                                 <all>